


The Longing of the Heart

by otherrealmwriter



Series: Historical Heart [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M, Possibly Unrequited Love, World War I, hinted at rusame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 100
Words: 56,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26935597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otherrealmwriter/pseuds/otherrealmwriter
Summary: Set in the early 1900s, Alfred F Jones is a coworker of Ivan Braginsky in a firm in the New York City area who has just married his little sister Natalya. But how deep is their love and who does everyone really love? AmeBel and slight unrequited RusAme Told as a series of journal entries over the years
Relationships: America/Belarus (Hetalia)
Series: Historical Heart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2018584
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	1. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? This story came to mind and won't leave me so I am going to write this and see where it goes and what kind of response it gets. I don't have much else to say so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

June 7th 1914

(from the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

Well, this has been quite the day. Still don't know if I had made the right decision but I guess we aren't getting any younger. Besides, if I waited much longer Vanya would think I was dragging his sister along. But to be honest I don't think she'd have minded if we waited 10 more years. She seemed okay with it out of just wanting to make Vanya happy and so she wouldn't end up a spinster like her older sister. Although I don't understand that one, Katy seems like a nice woman, just the worst luck with guys. When I started courting Natalya some guy named Feliks or whatever was dating her and left her at the altar. She's been so depressed ever since. Anyway, Vanya is looking after her now at his place. Poor girl.

Natalya looked so beautiful in that dress, I am not going to lie. I do love her. I do want to make sure she is well taken care of, but honestly, I kept staring at Ivan, her brother and my coworker at the firm. I don't know why. Maybe I was just nervous and just wanted his assurance like I do when we're at work. He was the one that suggested I ask his younger sister out. Said I seemed to be the only man that could handle her. If you had seen how we were on our first date, you would not believe I am writing this on my wedding day now. But she is now a Mrs. Natalya Jones (hee hee… now people can pronounce her last name so she can thank me for that….) and I couldn't be happier. And I can tell Vanya is happy too. She was the sister he seemed most worried about.

You see they came over to America a few years ago as the only family they had. Poor things. I will admit once Ivan got his job at the same firm I did, I saw him as an instant rival. People swore we'd tear each other apart. Eventally the owner of the firm, I guess tired of us being stupid to each other, made us work together and then we bonded. He introduced me to his family and then thinking I needed to settle down, he arranged a date with his sister and I guess we hit it off. I mean we are married. I can be certain that when we do have children, she will be sure they behave themselves.

Well that's enough for the journal for today, we're taking the evening trolly to Brighton Beach for a few days for our honeymoon.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? This story will be a series of journal entries over a period of years. I have the general timeline planned but filling them in, well that's another story. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

Otherealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	2. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? This story came to mind and won’t leave me so I am going to write this and see where it goes and what kind of response it gets. I don’t have much else to say so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

June 7th 1914

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

Well today was a day I thought would never happen. Back in the old country I scared most men off. Big brother kept saying he was going to have to take care of me his whole life. I told him I could take care of myself but he kept insisting that I settle down, have a man to take care of me, have some children, the whole lot. It was almost as if I scared him and he wanted someone else to handle me. I guess Fredka, his coworker, is a worthy enough man to have as a husband. He’s brave or foolish enough to stay around after I had threatened to stab him when we were introduced. And being big brother’s coworker I guess if he can trust him than I can too. He does seem like a good hardworking man who would provide for me well. 

It may have been my imagination but he kept staring at big brother at the wedding more than me. I am his bride not him. But then again, he may have been nervous. He is full of energy and I guess sometimes his mind would run wild. Our sons will have a father who can keep up with them and teach them well. Also their uncle could do the job well too. I should be happy. I am. I guess. He at least showed up to the wedding. Much better than what happened to big sister. I will assume my new duties as a wife well, as long as Fredka keeps up his end of the martial contract. I do expect him to provide at least one son. I will be carrying on his name but the child will carry mine and big brother’s blood as well. I shouldn’t take too long however. He did promise as a honeymoon trip to take me to Brighton Beach. It’s not far but it is a nice place and the ocean is beautiful. Reminds me of the Black Sea back home. 

So how was that? I know this is short but that’s the nature of this story. So remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	3. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? This story came to mind and won’t leave me so I am going to write this and see where it goes and what kind of response it gets. I don’t have much else to say so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

June 7th 1914

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

Today was quite the day and I am exhausted. Sure the ceremony may have been small but it was certainly busy. I am happy that both my little sister and Fredka are finally happy together and he’s part of my family now I guess, as my brother in law but does Natalya think I just pawned her off to a friend of mine? She wouldn’t quite say. She did seem a little sour at first when I told her that I had arranged a date with Fredka but she doesn’t need to be clinging onto me like she did. However, it was indeed Fredka that proposed marriage and she did accept. I do even remember him asking for her hand. Said that as her closest male relative as our parents are dead, that it was only proper manners for him to ask me. Also asked because we are good friends and he doesn’t want me offended that I am her brother. 

I did notice that Fredka was staring over at me a lot during the ceremony. Was he nervous and looking to me? I honestly don’t know. But I want him to be happy. He seemed so alone. I thought he needed a good woman and I couldn’t think of any others but my sisters. They are very good women. Natalya may be scary fierce but she is only that way with family and those she cares about. She is very loyal. But not any man can handle her. And Fredka deserves a woman who will treat him right as a wife should to her husband. With loyalty, love and devotion. I know Natalya has these qualities, even if she does not express them like in the cheap dime novels or romantic nickelodeons from France. Life is not like the stories and is more complicated than it seems. 

Is that way I think that he was the more handsome of the two at the ceremony? I know everyone fawns over the bride as it is mainly her day, but he is a dear friend of me. Not many people ever were. 

Yet another short entry. But like I said before, these are supposed to be a series of journal entries on their thoughts of the relationship. And as I said before I got huge steps planned but have to fill in the spots in between. This does start in 1914, so World War 1 will be involved later on. That’s as much as I’ll let on now. Remember to read (well you just did) and review! Ciao for now,

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	4. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

June 17th 1914

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones.)

Today was a busy day at work. We had 5 cases that needed to be prepared for trial all at once. Shows what happens when I leave for a while. I had been given a week after my wedding for a honeymoon and just to set up housekeeping. That’s better than many other bosses would have given. Mr. Seward is actually a pretty cool guy. Really generous too. Gave me a 200 bonus the paycheck before the wedding and a set of crystal decanters as well. I felt bad about not inviting him, but Natalya had wanted to keep it small, close friends and family. It is the bride’s day then after all, who am I to deny my little Nattie what she wants? I am surprised Matthew made it all the way down from Canada for this.

It is kind of weird though working with your brother-in-law. I just get so nervous around him now. He’s going to ask all about how things are, which they aren’t bad, but I know he worries about Nattie. He is a very traditional guy and she wouldn’t move in with me until after the wedding. Fair. I swear he needs to find him a woman of his own. Maybe I can hook him up with someone. He did with me so I should return the favor so he isn’t so lonely. I know Vanya well, and any girl would be lucky to have someone like him. I mentioned it to him and he blushes, looks away and says not to worry about it. Something seems funny….

Well enough about my job. On the way home I got Nattie a bouquet of white carnations. Left one back at the shop. Never give a dozen to Nattie. I remember when I first met her, I gave her a dozen sunflowers. What Vanya failed to mention was that this was seen as bad. I’m not psychic here and I didn’t know all of their customs. That’s why I got a black eye on our first date. It wasn’t until Ivan explained to me why and to her that I was meaning well that she calmed down. I have to give her that, she is a firecracker. I like that about her. She was quite surprised and I just told her that’s what a good husband does for his wife and kissed her on her forehead. She did crack a small smile. One has to remember that Natalya Jones does not get very affectionate unless she wants to. Well she just called me to dinner, so I’ll leave it there.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	5. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

June 17th 1914

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

It certainly is quite a change from when I was living with big brother. Do not misunderstand me, Alfred does not treat me poorly. Far from it actually. He’s quite the gentleman when he wants to be and at times he can be quite the child too. I mean on our honeymoon he took me to a baseball game, which I made very clear I found extremely boring. Most husbands, or at least the ones the other wives in Alfred’s or should I say, our, neighborhood claim their husbands do not seem to care if they are interested. Alfred then took me as a surprise the next day to a ballet performance of Swan Lake. Said it was to make up for having me so bored. His heart is big. He had wanted to do what the rich call the ‘grand tour’ of Europe or to take the Transcontential railroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Even more so when he told me of his boss’s wedding gifts. Certainly we would have had money to do so, with that and the savings he had but I cannot in good conscious do that when said money would provide well for our household. But with Alfred being as generous as he is, he wanted to buy me something he said would make my life easier, and I gave in and have a new sewing machine. 

I am also very fortunate he eats whatever I cook. No complaints either. I have seen the way he eats hamburgers and hot dogs when we do head out to the boardwalk. How he does not weigh as much as an elephant is beyond me. Big brother keeps telling me we are lucky, some of the lucky few who made it from the old country and able to get into the positions we are. I sometimes hear news of what happens back in Russia, and it is unnerving. Some of our neighbors still have family in Europe they hear from occasionally. This is probably why big brother was so persistent when he introduced Alfred to me. To make sure that I never lose the better life that traveling all this way brought. And if I must admit it to myself as undignified as it may seem, he is a handsome man. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	6. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

June 17th 1914

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

Sometimes I swear Fredka would be lost without me. I mean at the office he is a very good employee but he can be very easily distracted. Despite this, he was one of the boss’s favorites and best performers in the firm’s cases and affairs. Part of the reason when Mr. Seward took me on, just off the boat that I marked him as my rival. He just seemed so undignified for the job and I was determined to show Mr-Son-of-the-Mayflower as he bragged to me when we first met. Claimed he had an ancestor in every major American war, and relatives on both sides of the Civil War. Apparently there was a crazy brother of one of his grandfathers who joined the Confederacy and that is all that he will say. This just enticed me to show him up even more, much to Mr. Seward’s frustration. 

However, I knew it was this that made me certain that he should be with my sister. She would be taken care of and I know how many are looking at recent immigrants, especially from Eastern Europe. Although I wish he would stop trying to get me a date. I am fine by myself and I have to now take care of Katyusha. I worry she will remain a spinster if she doesn’t get better taste in men. She does work as a seamstress as she tries to save up to live on her own, but she is too trusting for her own good and things are so expensive. I tell her she does not have to move out, I am happy providing for her, but she does not agree. Some of the new ideas she has been exposed to…. But I digress. I did manage to embarrass Fredka at lunch the other day. Asked him when he was going to make me an uncle and he turned bright red in the face and spit his drink out all over one of our associates. I do think he and Natalya would make wonderful parents. Nothing would harm the child. They would want for nothing. Much better than if we stayed back in Russia. Any time I do get news from there, it is never pleasant. I wish we didn’t have to leave, but if we did not, we would be in a very bad situation. Tensions are rising all over Europe….

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	7. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

July 4th 1914

(from the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

It’s late and Nattie fell asleep quickly after we got home from the firework show. It’s one of the favorite things about my birthday. We just have to wait until after dark to see them. It was us and her brother and sister when we went into the park where the display was being held. We set the blanket out and Katy had packed us a picnic, well dinner you could say, and just laid back in the muggy summer air. There was a stand selling ice cold lemonades so I got one for everyone. I thought they didn’t quite put enough sugar in, so did Vanya, but Nattie said it was too sweet. I challenged her when we got home that if she didn’t like it so much she should make some herself. She actually said she would, even though Vanya seemed displeased I talked to his sister like that.

I just realized we had been married a whole month. Time sure flies doesn’t it? I mean it still seems like yesterday I carried her through the threshold. I just hope she’s happy with me. I mean she seems to be. I don’t want her to think she had to marry me. She could have said no; I would have been fine. It’s just hard to tell what Nattie thinks and feels sometimes. I think her aggressiveness is just a front. Besides she seems the type that if she hated my guts and wanted me dead she’d have done the deed herself anyway and made off with the life insurance that Vanya made me get before I married her. Geesh, I mean I am 26 now I don’t plan on dying any time soon.

But that has me thinking, I am 26 now. I may not plan on dying soon, but I do want to have a child. Does Nattie want one too? She would be the one knocked up for 9 months after all. I’ll ask her in the morning, it’s getting late. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	8. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

July 5th 1914

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

Big brother and Fredka are out back talking, why he has to keep checking up on us I don’t know, but I guess he may need time away from big sister. But honestly he sees Fredka at work every day. Monday through Friday. Sometimes I wonder if big brother wishes he was a girl so he could have married him instead of me. I am being paranoid I guess. Ever since Mother and Father died and we moved out of Russia, he has always been this way towards me and Katyusha. She may be completely hopeless, but even if I wasn’t married, I am not. 

We did have an interesting conversation on the way home from church today. I insisted I would not change churches when we were married, so instead of having to go to that Protestant one he occasionally attended as a bachelor, he came to the same one, big brother, sister and I go to. Which is good. He’s still getting used to the differences but hasn’t committed any major as it is called, ‘faux pas’. I will be 23 in August and Fredka did just turn 26. I had mentioned this after the service ended and he nodded. I then stated that I was wanting to become a mother soon and he smiled greatly at the prospect. Apparently he had been thinking much the same and did not know quite how to ask about it. Seemed rather embarrassed. Why, I do not see any reason why he should be ashamed of the fact. I do know what needs to be done and we are husband and wife. And we have made love before, so why the blush? Guess that is his childish side coming out. We were also in public and not too far from Vanya, so that may have been it. 

I am glad we are on the same train of thought on the matter though. I may convince him once Vanya goes home to get started on the attempt tonight. While he does respect my wishes on the matter, he has yet to be one to say no, should I ask. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	9. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

July 5th 1914

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

Well today was interesting. I had decided to come with Fredka and Natalya to their house for Sunday dinner and had overheard their conversation about Natalya wanting to become a mother herself. I don’t know if Fredka knows what he is in for until that baby is conceived. If there is one thing I know, it is when Natalya wants something, she makes sure she gets it. I never pictured her being so eager to have children, but who knows. She may indeed be settling down. I do think when they do, the baby will be just adorable. 

I do think that this is the reason she was actually angry I overstayed my welcome. I assume she wanted to get to work on having a child right away. It was not on purpose but I was just so wrapped up in conversation with Fredka. I just kept looking at how the sunlight hit his hair and how blue his eyes were behind his glasses. That I lost track of time and when dinner was finished she did invite me to eat with them. It was after dark and I was assuming that Fredka invited me to stay the night to show Natalya he cared about her family as well. I’d like to think of him as a brother. His own brother is in Canada and from what he had told me, is working as a member of the Royal Mounted Canadian Police. He was down for the wedding and I was actually surprised at this. He was very shy and quiet but Fredka assured me that if need be he was a formidable force to deal with. 

He is more in tune with what is going on in Europe than Fredka is. Britain and Canada still have close relations. He explained there are rumors of war breaking out and if Britain were to get involved they would ask Canada for help and many Canadians were willing to join up and help. I hope this blows over. Matthew seemed like he would join up, if just not to seem like a coward. I worry about the bloodshed if this gets too bad. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	10. Letter to Matthew

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. I know I said it was going to be told through journal entries but for some cases there will be letters too. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

July 15th 1914

Dear Mattie,

It’s been forever since I had seen you, bro! Well maybe not forever, forever. But still, why did you have to join the freaking Mounties? If you wanted to police stuff you could have just moved here to New York. I miss you. I miss us playing catch in the park together. I know you just moved to Ontario and not too far over the border, but it is still a long way apart. Ivan is a lot like a brother to me, especially since I married his sister and a lot of the time he comes over or just asks about us, I swear he’s more worried about her than me. It’s not the same as having your actual brother to hang around with. 

Natalya liked your gift. She’s not normally fond of sweet things but for some reason she really like the maple syrup you gave. And seriously Mattie, maple syrup? Well you did give us that nice fireplace set, which replaced the one I ALREADY HAD! We got most of what we needed to set up housekeeping anyway, so it’s the thought that counts. It has been quite a feat getting my house ready for Nattie. You see she was very traditionalist and wouldn’t move in with me until after the wedding. She’d kill me if she ever found out I told you but she really likes it when I hold onto her in her sleep. Getting used to having her share the same bed with me was tough but you see her at her true self, the caring, dedicated and loyal woman she is. I do remember you were kind of afraid of her at the reception. She means well. She’s just very independent and protective. 

You may be an uncle if we can ever get the timing right. Yep, you read that right, we’re trying for a child. Nattie really wants to be a mother and I know you might disagree but I think I would be a good father and frankly I’m not getting any younger. Neither are you bro. You know what they say, women love a man in uniform at least. God, it just hit me, everything would change when we do. Kind of scary but at the same time, I’d love to teach junior baseball, take him and his mother to the boardwalk and the beach, just the whole thing. Imaging Natalya pushing the little carriage with junior in it seems so good to me. Like perfect heaven. Or is that what I am supposed to think? Am I just scared? You’re better at this brotherly advice crap!

I don’t know what the hell I am doing here, everything’s just changed so much in the past month and will soon again if Natalya has her way. 

Your brother,

Al

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? me know in a review. There’s an arc so to say I have planned where a lot of the story will be told in different ways in both journals and letters. (If you are a history buff you may have an idea what might go on if it is the summer of 1914 and there’s ‘troubles in Europe’) Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	11. Letter to Alfred

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. I know I said it was going to be told through journal entries but for some cases there will be letters too. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

August 17th 1914

Dear Al,

I got your letter the other day. That’s big news. I didn’t think Natalya would be the motherly type, not at least at the wedding, but what do I know? She is your wife, not mine after all. 

If I told you once, I have told you a million times, I like it up here in Canada better. The air is just so clean and crisp and more of the countryside has been left untouched. City life just does not suit me the way it seems to be suiting you. And before you say I should have just moved west for the same thing, remember Al, I am not that far away. Ontario does border New York state after all. Although that may change if they send me to some of the western providences. I will send you a letter about that as soon as I know something. You know how government jobs are after all.

Honestly, the nerves you expressed are normal. Do you have any friends at work besides Ivan? I’m sure one of them has to have a family and have been where you are. Try asking them if you want a first-hand account of what it is like. However, if Natalya is as ‘independent and protective’ now, before she is pregnant and has the baby, then I shudder to hear about what you are in for when she does finally conceive. And Ivan, well you did marry his sister so I don’t know how he will get. But he seems like he’d be happy to have a little niece or nephew. Seems like a very close knit family type of guy. But once again, I just met him at the wedding.

I’ll find me a girl when I find me a girl. Not all of us have best friends who have sisters who want them married off to improve their status. Yes, I know how immigrants from Eastern Europe are treated there. But with what I know of Natalya and how you described her, she wouldn’t agree to the marriage on that reason alone. So never forget that your dearest Nattie loves you dearly. And don’t take this the wrong way or think I have thoughts about my sister-in-law that I shouldn’t, but I think that when you two do have children they will be quite adorable. You are a very caring person with a huge heart Al. While at times you can be an insensitive jerk, it’s never done malum in se or pretty much a wrong action done with disregard for morality. You’d be a great father Al, or at least the one adult that can keep up with children. And that’s something that would be a challenge if it is your spawn.

Hope that helps to ease your mind. And I am glad that good Canadian maple syrup is something even someone like Natalya would love. 

Your brother,

Matthew  
PS: Please stop calling me Mattie. We’re not kids anymore

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? me know in a review. There’s an arc so to say I have planned where a lot of the story will be told in different ways in both journals and letters. (If you are a history buff you may have an idea what might go on if it is the summer of 1914 and there’s ‘troubles in Europe’) Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	12. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

August 25th 1914

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones.)

Today is my dearest Nattie’s birthday and I wanted the best for it. Luckily I was able to talk Vanya into coming over later as a belated surprise. Don’t get me wrong, I find it fantastic that he wants to be a part of our family and I don’t mind but I’d like to have a special day with my special lady that doesn’t involve her obsession with motherhood. Don’t think anything wrong with me, and yes it is quite fun what we have to do to conceive, but by god, she really wants a child. Vanya did warn me she was slightly obsessive; (I wonder what his definition of slightly is) but I wasn’t expecting this. With all we are doing, I know she is going to take the best care junior could want. 

Wanting to be sweet on her I took her to Coney Island today for her birthday. She likes to make like she is above things like amusement parks, but she seemed to like the bumper cars, Ferris wheel and rollercoaster a lot. She demanded she drive her own car and kept bumping into me but smiled afterwards, so I don’t think she was trying to hurt me. I was worried she might get scared on the roller coaster but she seemed to enjoy it. I don’t know if she has learned yet, but I can tell when she is acting tough or denying she likes something she thinks is not proper for her to like. I won’t think any less of her if she enjoys the boardwalk or a good all American Coney Island Dog. She’s all American to me anyway. 

We then went to a nice seaside restaurant for dinner tonight. She seemed to like this most openly. Like I said, she has a hard time with admitting to liking things that others may think improper. (Although why she would think they are improper is beyond me when you see the people at the boardwalk) I just want to make sure that she doesn’t regret me. I know she loves me and Vanya said that she would never agree to a marriage she didn’t want to be in, I just worry sometimes. Depending on how she is feeling later, we’ll try again to have a baby. Here’s hoping we’re successful soon. I’m starting to get worn out. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	13. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

August 25th 1914

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

Well today was, as much as I do not want to admit it, rather fun. Fredka took me to Coney Island for my birthday going on about how a good husband never forgets his wife’s birthday and treats he like the princess she is. I never thought of myself like that, but who am I to say anything on that matter. I did like chasing after him with the bumper car. Just to let him know who really is the boss. I will say I was not expecting much for my birthday today but I am glad. I won’t let him know just how glad. I like keeping him on his toes. I’ve seen some of our neighbor’s wives and they look so worn down. And then I see their husbands. Many of them take those women for granted. And that is just putting it politely. Well I am not to be taken that way.

I have to wonder why we have not been able to conceive yet. We’ve seriously been trying for nearly a month now. Is there something wrong with Fredka? There had better not be anything wrong with me. While Fredka has been at work, I have asked some of the neighbors about this issue and all they tell me is to keep trying. An Amusement Park is more of a family thing anyway. I often have dreams of him taking care of my, well our, child and they are very pleasant dreams. It seems so heavenly and I will bring that heaven to Earth damnit! 

Well I am also reminded of what our neighbor told me the other day. A child is the expression of the love a couple has together. The more in love you feel, the happier you are the more your body wants to get pregnant. Now how much truth there is to that, I don’t know. Personally sounds like something you read in those cheap romantic novels you find at the bookstores. But it is a nice sentiment. I remember some families having parents who obviously hated each other and it made the child miserable. If Fredka is willing to do so much for me, maybe this is true love. 

He lets me be me, actually finds what some have called my sour attitude kind of endearing, Why? Is he brave or just stupid? But he seems to care deeply for me. And it’s not like I am the only one thinking of starting a family, he is as well. Maybe tonight we will finally get lucky. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	14. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

August 25th 1914

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

Little sister does seem to be running Fredka down in her obsessive desire to have a child. Poor guy. At least she hasn’t gone to the point where she tries some of those weird patent medicines or old folk remedies on him. I had warned her against those but the only thing that I have noticed out of Fredka is just exhaustion recently. Natalya must really want to be a mother if she is wearing him down that much. Normally that man is full of energy. But he does want a child too, so I guess that’s why he isn’t saying anything to her. I don’t think he is afraid of her. Is he? 

Things are quiet at my house since Natalya moved out. Katyusha often does not talk much and minds her own business. She often works late to earn money but when she has a bit of savings, someone always talks her into some bad investment or business scheme. Then I have to go and try and get that money back. There was that one investor who promised her huge returns and then he ran out of the country by the time she realized she had been taken advantage of. There is a woman who runs around her job selling perfumes for some company and they are always asking for women to sell and they target people like her. She keeps saying to me to not worry about her, but that is usually after she had her savings spent on another foolish venture. So I worry. I worry about Fredka and Natalya as well. She actually told me to come another day instead of today. That she was spending the whole day with Fredka as it is her birthday. And I do worry about Katyusha’s birthday present for her. It’s that same perfume that that one older crazy widow who works at the shop she does walks around selling all the time. I don’t want to think other women would resort to taking her money like the snake oil salesmen and fraudulent stock brokers.

One of them told her the munitions market would be good. Europe has started tearing each other apart after that Austrian Archduke got shot. The news I read is never any good coming from over there. And one person I met hadn’t taken a bath in a month because they are afraid of a German as it is called, u boat, coming through the pipes. That makes no sense. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	15. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

October 17th 1914

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones.)

Well we finally got confirmation. Natalya is pregnant. I had suspected as such when she kept getting sick as I was heading to work. Part of me was thinking that was just her way to try and get me to stay home with her. But finally she went to the doctor yesterday and as best as they could confirm, which isn’t saying much, they did say she was pregnant. She’s not quite showing yet so the child’s expected in the late spring or early summer. I have a lot to do before then, have to order all the stuff they’ll need, make a nursery out of one of the spare rooms and oh god. With winter coming up, I am glad we have a new gas heater than a fireplace the older places nearby have. I don’t want Nattie having to keep putting wood on the fire as it gets colder in her state. 

I just realized I know very little about taking care of a baby. Like Mattie and I were twins so I didn’t have a little brother or sister to care for on this. Nattie has been talking with some of the other families in the neighborhood so hopefully we can get a few pointers there. By god, I was not expecting this. I mean I should have because yeah we were trying for it but by god… I didn’t know how I would feel when it actually happened. Coming home from work yesterday when she told me was the happiest I had ever seen her. I think even happier than on our wedding day or when I proposed. Kind of shocking as she normally is very reserved with happiness but open on being stern. Well, I got a lot to do today. Got to write Mattie, tell Vanya and Katy about the news, make sure Nattie isn’t spending all her time in the house and gets some fresh air, maybe take her to the seashore for some really good air, boy. And this is all before the kid is even here. I may be in a little over my head here…. but people have kids all the time so it can’t be that hard, right? Right? 

I may have to ask Katy and Vanya if they remember what it was like. I mean he’s 5 years older than Nattie and Katy is 5 years older than him. I am sure they remember something. I hope….

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	16. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

October 17th 1914

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

So it is official, I am with child. Although I could have used some warning about these feelings. I do not like throwing up each morning and seeing Fredka look so worried about me. He had seemed so exhausted when he came home from work yesterday, it was raining and the fall chill starting to really set in but when I told him, he grabbed me and spun me around in a very tight hug. I was worried he might unknowingly hurt the unborn child. I know he never would intentionally but he’s much stronger than he looks. There were times where Vanya would want to do drinking and he would be the one carrying him home. Or the other way around, it really just depended on who drank what in those cases. Both of them are rather silly then sleepy drunks so I never have been hurt and really do not like those nosy temperance movement women. If their men were physically hurting them, why don’t they stand up to them? Cowards. If for some god forsaken reason Alfred were to ever attempt to strike me, no matter how petty and pathetic the reason, you can rest assured, I would have him begging for mercy. Yes, I may be his wife but that does not mean if he does treat me badly I cannot defend myself. I had seen what happens when a woman does and what becomes of the children. I swore I would never let that happen to me or my children. 

Well to a less depressing topic, Alfred was talking about wanting a daughter, a little princess, as he said it. Personally I would rather have a son for my first child. He would be there to help take care of and look after his younger siblings no matter what happened. Just like big brother. I know he’s technically the second born, but that is the sibling model I want for my son. He will be strong and full of life like his uncle and his father. We are heading to Vanya’s house to tell him and Katyusha in person the news. I’m worried on how excitable Katyusha will be. I already was hugged to death once. I don’t think the baby can survive too many bear hugs from its family at this point. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	17. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

October 17th 1914

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

Today has been a very happy day. It seems that all of Natalya and Fredka’s hard work have finally paid off. They are expecting a child and it is due in the late spring. Natalya seems certain that she is having a boy and when I asked her about this and how she was so certain, she just called it mother’s intuition and moved on. Katyusha was so excited to become an aunt; she gave Natalya a large hug. We then had a drink to celebrate although Natalya refused, saying she did not want any harm to befall her son before he was born. 

Normally it is Fredka at work who asks about my love life, or well lack thereof, but this time it was Natalya. I then asked her why she isn’t asking Katyusha and said that with her taste in men, it was very likely that she was going to remain a spinster for life. It sounded kind of rude but soon after this Katyusha met up with a man named Sadiq. I don’t know what it is but I do not trust that Turk, especially if he just keeps wearing that mask like a bandit. Katyusha assured us he’s fine but even Fredka, a very trusting man, at least on first meeting people seemed a little suspicious. We all agreed it was not because of where he was from, but the mask and the fact that Katyusha has made some poor choices in suitors before. Men who used her and stood her up at the altar, men who used her for physical release and used her for what little money she did have. In terms of personality, Katyusha is completely different from Natalya. 

When Katyusha left Natalya asked again and all I could say is that I hadn’t found the right woman who would put up with having to live with her sister-in-law because I could not abandon Katyusha to the wild world. Fredka said he’d put up with her if that was the case, but I didn’t want to tell them the truth. I just do not feel anything for any woman I have met. They certainly are interesting to talk to but I would rather be alone than to force love. Heck the closest relationship outside of my sisters I have is with Fredka, and he is my brother-in-law…….

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	18. Letter to Matthew

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am glad to see the response I am getting to this story and will work on it a little more. While I like to believe that reader response doesn’t affect me, let’s be real here. I am a human being and need to know people like my stuff. But anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 27th 1914

Dear Mattie,

I know it is a month before Christmas, but well, it is now the time for those letters. And I have to get it written up and sent out now if I want it to get to you before Christmas. If you had told me this time last year I would be married with a child on the way, I would laugh at you. I had started courting Natalya a few months before this time last year but at the same time, she didn’t seem like she was ready for much more than that at the time and as you know, I never like pushing the fair maiden into something she doesn’t want to do. Not when said fair maiden is very assertive on what she wants and is more than willing to punch me in the face if I treat her badly, which if I did, I would deserve. And she reads the room at least. I know I have done things she really doesn’t like, like braid her hair when she doesn’t want it done and she won’t kill me on the first infraction, but I also know when she says she doesn’t like something she means it. And how to tell when she really doesn’t like it and when she is just trying to cover up her feelings. 

But there’s bigger news than the fact Nattie doesn’t like it when I braid her hair. Back in October she was confirmed pregnant is now about 3 months along. I can kind of start to see the bump showing but our neighbors said at this point it still is kind of early to tell unless it’s a big kid. This just made her even more sure that it’s a boy. Which if she is right and the neighbor is right, that is going to be one big kid and I dread to see her when she gives birth. Nattie doesn’t like me saying it but she is a delicate build and well....that’s not going to be easy. We haven’t decided on names yet, it’s too soon but she wants some Russian ones. Well, we’ll talk about that more when the kid is born. She has a few picked but I won’t discuss it too much until we know for sure. I honestly kind of want a girl. A little princess to just spoil. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Winter hasn’t hit too hard yet. Still is kind of rainy and wet, but no snow just yet and I’m relieved. Nattie does the shopping while I am work and I don’t want her to slip and fall. She won’t stay inside and rest and it has been hard for me to tell her that I will pick up some of the housework. At least some of the cooking and dish washing. I’ve kind of had to go behind her back and get Ivan to talk her into letting me help out with some of the chores. It’s my duty to her and the baby after all. If junior is going to be born healthy then Mom can’t be working herself to death.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Your brother,

Al

PS: I will NEVER stop calling you Mattie bro. Deal with it.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (For the type of story this is) Let me know in a review. I will speed up some time jumps, as if I were to do it for every day would be impossible. Besides, some of the real drama shows up in the years 1916, 1917 and 1918. If you are into history, you’ll know the big events in those time frames. But anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	19. Letter to Alfred

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am glad to see the response I am getting to this story and will work on it a little more. While I like to believe that reader response doesn’t affect me, let’s be real here. I am a human being and need to know people like my stuff. But anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 18th 1914

Dear Al,

Merry Christmas to you too! I got your letter a few days ago, and I’m sending this down in hopes of the fact this will reach you and Natalya before the new year at least. I am sending more of that maple syrup she liked. Never run out of something this good. The stuff from Vermont isn’t as good, despite what you will tell yourself. Only Canada has the best syrup and you know it Al. 

Well that’s great news to hear about you and Natalya. If she is about 3 months along when you sent your letter that means the baby is due in the late spring. Why do you keep calling them junior if you want a girl? And how is Natalya so certain it is a boy? And she’s wanting a Russian name. I only know a few, Nikolai, Dmitri, Mikhail and of course Ivan. We have a few Russians coming into Canada and I was in charge of processing some of the new arrivals recently. They mainly want to head out west towards some of prairie provinces. If I can I will see about coming down to help out or see the new baby, depending on when I can get everything arranged. So far I haven’t been reassigned but the western provinces are calling for more help, especially with the railways making progress out there. My captain seems to like me, so he won’t transfer me, but it just depends on what his boss says on the matter. I honestly like staying in Ontario close to you guys. 

At the same time we have had a recruiter for the military come in to the base a few times. Pointed him to some of the minor criminals but with the war in Europe breaking out, Britain is asking for help from Canada. That is not enough for me to move to New York, no matter what you say Al before you begin. Besides, I fear that as much as I can tell America wants to stay out, I worry this will somehow rope you guys in too. This seems to be something new. But then again, I also hear a lot of things in my job. I may be paranoid. I hope I am. Too many of my fellow Mounties are talking about joining. I may just too myself, but that’s not a top priority, but I couldn’t stay behind while my fellow men go overseas and fight that mess. It would’t be right. 

But that is neither here nor there and I am so happy for you and Natalya. I want a picture of my new niece or nephew when they are born and a special batch of maple syrup for which one of you is right, you or Natalya. Personally I think Natalya is. 

Your brother,

Matthew

PS: And I will NEVER STOP ASKING you to call me Matthew now. We are not children anymore. Hell, you’re expecting a child. Call that one Mattie!

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (For the type of story this is) Let me know in a review. I will speed up some time jumps, as if I were to do it for every day would be impossible. Besides, some of the real drama shows up in the years 1916, 1917 and 1918. If you are into history, you’ll know the big events in those time frames. But anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	20. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

February 14th 1915

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones.)

Today was a cold, snowy, sleety Sunday but Natalya, even while nearly 6 months pregnant, would not miss church for anything. It’s about a third of a mile away and while not much of a walk on a nice day when she isn’t pregnant, the weather is horrible and as much as I have to concede, as big as she’s getting, there is a very good chance we are having a boy. Luckily, Vanya’s house isn’t too far from church so we stopped there and he came with us. I was hoping he’d talk Natalya out of pushing herself too much but at least he walked with us I guess. He’s been great through all of this and Katyusha has been helping Natalya with housekeeping when I am at work. Don’t get me wrong, I do my fair share of the work like the after dinner dishes and tuck my very pregnant darling in at night after rubbing her feet but she is dedicated to the prospect of having everything perfect when I come home, so I thank god Katyusha is willing to help out so much. 

Katyusha made Sunday dinner at Ivan’s and it gave me a chance to sneak away and prepare something special for Natalya. It is Valentine’s Day after all. A local florist has a greenhouse and I got her a bouquet of 11 white carnations, which are some of Nattie’s favorites and I did learn my lesson well on the even number superstition, some of those conversation hearts, a card and a box of Hershey’s kisses. Despite the only sweet thing she liked before was that maple syrup that Mattie sent to us at Christmas, during her pregnancy she has grown quite the sweet tooth, which she attributes to the baby. Claimed that some of the women she had talked to about this told her their tastes had changed during pregnancy as well. Well at least it sounds like this is normal with pregnancy. I just want her to be happy and healthy. Then the baby will be when he’s born. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	21. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

February 14th 1915

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

I may be pregnant but I am not an invalid. I never missed church just because of bad weather before, so why should I now? I know Fredka has my best interests at heart, but I will be fine. Especially if our son takes after his father’s strength, a little rain and snow will not hurt him. Big brother still came along with us. I know Fredka was hoping he’d talk me out of going but Vanya knows better on that matter. Once all was over, Katyusha made us a nice dinner. Sadly, but also just as sadly, and expectantly, her new boy toy Sadiq left her back at the start of the new year. From what I can tell, she just has a broken heart. He didn’t take any of her money or virtue nor did he make any promises to her he broke. While this is better than many of her other suitors, I still will beat that masked Turk within an inch of his life. While she may be obnoxiously trusting and a little bit of a weakling idiot, that is my sister. No one dishonors her like that and gets away with it if I can help it. 

We had a delicious Sunday dinner of roast beef, potato dumplings, and Katyusha’s homemade sauerkraut. If there is nothing else that she is good for, she is a good cook. Better than Fredka. He tries his best and when he does make supper for me, I do eat it because I know the intents of his heart, but the only thing he has been able to make that I find a little more than palatable is hamburgers and hot dogs and fried potatoes. I honestly like the potatoes more than others but since I have been pregnant, I or the baby I swear, really wants those hamburgers. Well this may be a sign he will take a lot after his father. 

After we left big brother’s house, we went back home, and Fredka turned the heat on warm and then sat me on the couch where he gave me a bouquet of flowers, remembering which ones I liked and to make sure it is an odd number, those chalky conversation hearts and a big box of those chocolate Hershey’s Kisses along with a silly card with two birds on it with a heart. He then pulled me in close and kissed me, “Happy Valentine’s day my darling Nattie.” All I could do was blush and look away. The chocolates are all mine. He can have some of those hearts. 

God, I love that man, even if he can be a little overly excitable about things that seem silly, like giving candy to your lover on Valentine’s day. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	22. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

February 14th 1915

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

Some may call me a prophet, some may call me psychic but I knew that Fredka and Natalya would stop by on the way to church today. The streetcars were not running due to the weather, and with it being a Sunday as well. In all actuality, I just know my sister and best friend well. Natalya is getting quite big. I cannot remember Mama being that big when she was going to have Natalya, although I was around 5 years old at the time. Katyusha has a better memory on that matter and states that while not with Natalya, but with me she claimed Mama grew huge. However, Katyusha was only 5 then, so who knows, the memory may be distorted. But at this point, everyone is in agreement that the baby is most likely a boy. 

While Katyusha was making Sunday dinner, Natalya headed into the kitchen while I had a chance to just sit down with Fredka and talk with him. I have wanted to know how he has been feeling as time has been going on. Work has been busy lately with many businesses wanting to cover their assets with the war coming up. A lot of them have been moving into manufacturing munitions or increasing production on war goods that are getting sold to Europe. Heck a member of the British military, a Major Kirkland was in with one of our clients to discuss a few deals that our firm had overseen and mediated between a tire plant and the British military. Fredka prefers to focus more on what is going on here in the Americas, but I had overheard some things that Major Kirkland had said and it did not sit well with me. There’s a few Americans calling to join in, but the nation is still, thankfully, officially neutral. 

Fredka was too worried about his soon to be born child to worry about something like war thousands of miles away. While Katyusha and Natalya were talking, I gave him a small card a chocolate bar to show my friendship. I mean why should Valentine’s day be only for lovers? Apparently I guessed which candy was his favorite because he hugged me for it. Thank goodness Natalya wasn’t around because he ate it quickly before I could even say he was going to spoil Sunday dinner. Then again, knowing him, it would take a lot more than one candy bar to spoil that man’s appetite. 

While I love my sister dearly and cannot wait for the birth of my nephew, I do like having time to just Fredka and I. He’s the best friend I ever had and frankly the only person I can open up to. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	23. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

May 31st 1915

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones.)

I can’t believe it. This is the best day of my life. Better than when I got 6 ice cream cones as a kid. Better than when Natalya accepted my proposal, better than our wedding, better than the honeymoon. After what seemed like forever with labor, I am a Daddy. Little Nikolai Alexander Jones was born today. Luckily Matthew had come down for a little while after being granted some leave. I don’t know what I would have done when she finally did go into labor. He was able to get Ivan and Katyusha for me as Nattie did not want me to leave her side. She told me, ‘You put this in me, you will be here when it comes out!’ My hand still hurts from how hard she squeezed it. Makes writing this entry kind of hard.  
Her water broke around sunset yesterday and she finally gave birth around sunrise today. Mattie first had gotten Ivan and Katyusha and then went to look for a midwife when they came over. Turns out actually that Katyusha knows a bit about midwifery herself. Maybe she should look into making that her job than just a seamstress at a shirt factory. She’s got great instincts for it and bedside manner. I know she wants to be able to support herself without having Ivan to take care of everything financially. Well that would be a good thing for her to do.  
But little Nikolai was born very healthy. He’s got his mother’s eyes. The midwife said that babies commonly have blue eyes when born, but these seemed a darker, more sapphire like color when I have been told mine are just plain old bright blue. Trust me, there’s differences. But anyway she said right at birth it is hard to tell which parent the child takes after. Mattie says he looks like me, Katyusha sees a lot of Natalya and Ivan just says he sees a good mix of both. Natalya seems to have this motherhood thing down. I just hope I can be a good dad to the little kiddo. Soon after her was born, Natalya was singing a Russian lullaby to him and she then said while she was feeding him that she was going to make sure he knew both Russian and English.

Right now, I am watching little Nikolai as I write this, but he and Natalya are both asleep. Ivan says I should get some sleep too. Insists on it. He says he’ll look after the baby while I do. He’s proving to be a great uncle already. I guess I should follow his advice then. Besides, all I want to do right now is cuddle up to the world’s most beautiful mother in my eyes. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	24. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

May 31st 1915

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

I woke up to Fredka holding onto me tightly while big brother sat in the new rocking chair in the corner of our bedroom holding Nikolai. I rolled over to face him and ask what he was doing, and he told me he was looking after Nikolai while he insisted that Fredka rest. Nikolai seems to be sleeping soundly right now, so I won’t wake him. I am still very exhausted. Our neighbors had warned me about this. I guess I should have expected it, but you never really can until you are in labor. Until Fredka’s brother got the midwife we had planned, Katyusha took over, and she did help out although it seemed like forever until the baby was born. Finally, when my beloved son was born, the midwife declared it was a boy and Matthew “slugged” as Fredka called it, in the arm and said that I won the maple syrup he had brought. Apparently he promised a batch to whoever guessed the gender of the baby correctly and at the time I mean it is delicious but who gives a person that for having a child? Well he did have a few more appropriate gifts like a new bedding set and a plush polar bear toy. Nikolai seemed to cling to it a lot when he was placed in his cradle. 

I was worried before he was born that Fredka would insist on something like Alfred Franklin Jones junior or something like that, considering how he kept calling Nikolai that before he was born. He didn’t want me using the Russian middle name tradition. Claimed it wouldn’t sound right. He does have a point. Alfredovich? Sounds like an Italian pasta sauce. He did suggest Alexander and it was alright by me. He spelled it the English way though. I insisted on picking the first name. Nikolai means ‘victory of the people’ in tradition, so that is what I decided on. Fredka also said it can be shortened to ‘Nick’ in case of any teachers in school who cannot pronounce his name. I don’t think it is a hard name to pronounce, neither did Matthew, I asked him if he could when I wrote how it is spelled down, him being the other native English speaker in the house at the time and he got it right, but he claimed that school teachers sometimes have issues with names that aren’t like his and Fredka’s are. Big brother has gotten used to his name being pronounced differently since we arrived here, so I guess it will happen. 

Big brother says Nikolai looks like a good healthy mix of me and Fredka but has my eyes. I think Fredka said something to that effect too when he got a good look at him when he was cleaned up. I don’t know if it was the rush of birth or just our growing family but when I saw his smile when he cut the cord, I felt so happy. I knew that Nikolai just gained the best father, although he may have moments where he acts just like a child too, that anyone could hope for. Well Katyusha is insisting I eat something and she made a big pot of kasha for everyone so I will leave it there. Fredka is still asleep and Nikolai in his cradle. It is beside the bed so if he wakes, Fredka will know. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	25. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

May 31st 1915

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

Today was so busy. My nephew was born today. Little Nikolai Alexander Jones. Honestly when Matvey told me that Natalya’s water broke, I was very anxious. There were stories that my mother told us of when she went into labor she often would injure my father. Claimed that she did not know how strong she was when she was in that much pain. Knowing Natalya, the fact Fredka walked away with a sore hand is the best he could hope for. 

Fredka thinks he looks a lot like Natalya, while she thinks the opposite. I honestly think there’s a good mix of them both in the little boy. It was such a precious sight, seeing the whole new family just asleep. I had told Fredka to go to bed and I’d look after Nikolai. He had been up all night and while he wasn’t giving birth like Natalya was she was insistent that he stay by her side the whole time. I found what she said kind of funny, although I wouldn’t say that to her. ‘You put this child in me, you will stay here until he is born or else!’ Seriously, that is something she would say on that matter, wouldn’t it? If I do recall she was the one wearing him down trying to conceive in the first place. It wouldn’t be my place to remind her of that fact. 

I’m writing this from the rocking chair in their bedroom right now. Natalya had recently woken and getting something to eat from Katyusha. I told her I would join her later and let Fredka and Nikolai have some peace. I am certain that this journal would not be read by anyone but me as I am even sort of confused on if I do really feel this way. Besides, it could never be for a million reasons, some more obvious than others but seeing how Fredka was holding onto Natalya made me envious. Not for what they have per say, well sort of, it’s hard to just articulate it that is why I am hoping writing it will help me compose my thoughts. I wished I was in Natalya’s place. The sun shining on me and the one I love as a new day began. It’s crazy. Honestly it may be the fact I haven’t gotten much sleep myself. No way that a man could love another man like a man loves a woman. Even if that were the case, he is married. It can never be. So I will be the best uncle that little Nikolai can want and the best friend that Fredka could ever ask for. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	26. Letter to Matthew

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

September 6th 1915

Dear Mattie,

The past four months have been so busy, between the baby, work and Natalya, I haven’t had time to write you as much I would have liked to. I really wish you could have stayed for Nikolai’s baptism, but I get you had to head back. We ended up having it on June 7th, our one-year anniversary. The priest also pretty much wanted to do the same to me as a convert. Said I had been coming with Natalya and Ivan for over a year at that point. Got kind of scary, between him and Natalya, who am I to refuse. It’s all the same God and Jesus anyway, just different rituals to worship Him. You know I am relaxed on that anyway. Sometimes I don’t wonder if I shouldn’t have taken her name rather than the other way around, as much as she has pulled me in some of her traditions and how much time Ivan and Katyusha spend with us too. Feels like I am more a member of their family than they are mine. It’s actually pretty neat though, so I am not complaining. 

Nikolai really likes that stuffed polar bear you gave him. He’s a little over 3 months old now and he’s putting his hands and everything in his mouth. We’ve had to make sure that nothing is left around him that would make him sick. He’s also very loud when he cries. Something that Nattie blames me for, but that’s what babies do, they cry. Ivan told me that Natalya was loud too as a baby, but I am going to let him mention that to his sister. Nikolai also poops a lot. I do not feel sorry for Natalya when she does the laundry. But it’s good for her and Nikolai to get out in the sun as she has a clothesline set up in the backyard along with a garden. It’s not a big farm or ranch like we’d have elsewhere, but it’s better than some others have and she seems to like growing and working in it. And don’t yell at me, I do help with cooking and dishes. Took a while but I convinced her to let me do it a few days a week. Never Sundays though. That is either her or Katyusha. 

How are things going up there? I know you mentioned that Canada is getting roped into that war. Did they try and get you in? I mean you are a Mountie; they need you back here or there or whatever. I know you told me about what happened at the Vanceboro International Bridge back in February, but I don’t want you to get roped into their crap. But who am I to say much? We have or last President calling for war after the Lusitania was sunk back in May. Wilson is trying to stay out, stay neutral but I just don’t know. I know that Canada has been called on by Britain to help them a lot. But if we do go to war, I don’t know what I would do. I mean I would have to join up. Our family has done that for every war for god knows how long. Dad was even in the Spanish-American war. I mean you remember when he was gone for a while back when we were 10. I don’t know if I could do that to Nikola and Natalya. But if it is my duty…. God this sucks.

Your dearest brother,

Al

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	27. Letter to Alfred

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

October 8th 1915

Dear Al,

You sound so henpecked by Natalya. But you also sound happy, so I guess that is all that matters. Great to hear how Nikolai is growing up. Nice to hear he loves the toy I got him. You must send me some pictures at Christmastime. I don’t know how long it will take to get them. You see I have been assigned a more western post. Not too far west, just Quebec, so me learning French growing up won’t be a waste. Some of my fellow troopers have already gone and joined the military to fight. And some have been sent home. You are right in what you hear it is bad. One of my fellows went and joined but got caught in a gas attack during the Second Battle of Ypres. Poor fellow did get a medical discharge from it, it affected his breathing and he wasn’t fit for battle, much less to serve at his old post. He had family in Montreal though that took him in so when I am stationed, I do intend to visit him.

He is one of the luckier ones. The burns I have seen from veterans, the dead, and what I have seen and heard from the letters back here, it’s not comforting. So no, I am not as foolishly eager to join like some other people I know, but if duty does call, I may have to. I promised my fellow trooper Wayne that if he enlisted I would do to make sure I had his back. I can hear you yelling at me, but it is duty Al. And I don’t have a young family like you do. Dad didn’t go to war until we were old enough to support the house in his stead. I swear I never polished so many shoes to help buy stuff for the house than that summer of 1898. If I was older I would have just run off to the Klondike and tried my luck in Dawson City. Some of my senior officers actually got their start there. Funny huh? 

However, whatever happens, I will be the first to tell you. You are my brother. I would not leave you not knowing something like that. I know this letter is short, but I have to pack up my suitcases and head out to Montreal where I will get my new station orders. Make sure that Natalya and Nikola are safe. I’ll send some gifts down when I get a chance. Christmas is bound to be here sooner than we expect it to be. 

Your dearest brother,

Matthew

PS Once again, I implore you stop calling me Mattie. It’s getting old. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Did kind of put a mention to the Klondike Gold Rush in this one, which happened in 1898, same year as the Spanish American war. Do have a story by that name set then if you like my historical settings. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	28. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I’m glad to see that this story is getting a good traction but anyway,enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 25th 1915

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones.)

Today was Nikolai’s first Christmas and we spent it at Ivan and Katyusha’s. We had been there for a few weeks now as a few of the neighbor kids had caught scarlet fever and Natalya was afraid of what would happen to to Nikolai if he was too close to them. I just feel bad that Ivan gave up his bedroom for the couch in the parlor. Katyusha and him swap out so neither of them get a very bad back. Ivan’s neighbors are older couples and ones that have older children, so there’s less chance of them spreading something like back at our house. I have been in every so often to check on the place and keep it clean, but after the scare Natalya had when poor little Nicky had the croup has her on edge. She’s a new mother after all and put in so much work to have him in the first place. I wouldn’t blame her honestly on that. I know my little Nicky is strong and will fight whatever bug gets to him but you tell that to Natalya, she’ll accuse you of not worrying enough. 

Turns out when she was little there was a few bad outbreaks of diphtheria and scarlet fever and that a few of her cousins did nearly die from it. A boy named Toris was never the same afterwards she said. But that didn’t stop us from having a nice Christmas for Nikolai. It’s just at his Uncle Ivan’s place. He’s starting to crawl some, but he mainly rolls around where he wants to go. We have had to open his gifts, but he’s gotten a small rubber ball he likes to chase around, a few new outfits and booties. He’s so adorable in them and Ivan has been nothing but doting on him this whole time. Seems like any troubles of the world are so far away right now. Had a bit of a scare with Katyusha. Seems like some of the members of the Red Cross were looking to train some women as nurses to help with the war and someone told them Katyusha would be a good nurse. Can’t say I don’t blame them for thinking that way, she’s got excellent bedside manner, but I am still scared of what will happen to Mattie if he does decide to sign up. At least he’d have something to defend himself with. I know it’s not common practice for armies to attack those delivering medical care, but from some of Granddad’s stories in the civil war, I get worried. I know medical technology and the like have gotten better since then but he was in Cold Harbor and those trenches he described back then remind me a lot of what I read in the papers. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry) Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say other than remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	29. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I’m glad to see that this story is getting a good traction but anyway,enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 25th 1915

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

Christmas day. It is my son’s first Christmas. I will admit here in the pages of this journal I was scared he wouldn’t make it to this day. Do not get me wrong, Nikolai is a very healthy child, and has strong lungs. And those come from Fredka, not me despite what big brother claims about when I was a child myself. I tried to get Katyusha to confirm or deny my suspicions that Vanya is just trying to make his friend seem better but she wouldn’t say a word. He is very active though, little Nikolai. He is rolling around and crawling a little bit but not much just yet. From what I am able to gather this is normal for a child his age. 

Fredka got him a ball he could chase around and said he was going to teach him how to play baseball when he was old enough. Oh brother, those two with something like that. The hardware store will see a lot of visits from Alfred F. Jones because of broken windows. I’ve seen Fredka play a little bit with a few of his coworkers and he is a “good swing” and has a “million dollar arm” as his friends put it and I asked Vanya exactly what they meant and he explained he is good at the game. But a child is not born good at this. And because Nikolai already seems to be strong, he is going to make the childish mistakes and possibly break a window. I already have a debate on who will teach him to shoot, Fredka or Vanya. You see back in Russia, he was a decent hunter and brought home a fair amount of meat in lean times. One of the best shooters in our village. But Fredka claims that is another duty of a son’s father. Katyusha says both should try and let the child pick who he thinks is better to. Those two will spoil him, I swear. 

But as it sits right at this very present moment, it seems that he is healthy and happy. I have gotten him over the croup and he is not showing any signs of the illnesses the neighbor’s children had. We should be able to stay back at the house full time a little past Epiphany. That is when the neighbors will not be contagious anymore. I’m blessed that big brother lives close by and is willing to put up with us. Nikolai is a very loud child. Maybe this means he will have a good voice. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry) Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say other than remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	30. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I’m glad to see that this story is getting a good traction but anyway,enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 25th 1915

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

It has been a hectic few weeks, with Fredka, Natalya and little baby Nikolai over due to the outbreak near where they live. I honestly think they would be fine if they stayed back there and just did not have any real contact with the kids who have diphtheria and scarlet fever, but Natalya actually struck me for that suggestion when they first came over. It was after Fredka had come home from work. He had developed a deep affinity for coffee since Nikolai was born. He’s been woken up at night and has had his fair share of diaper changes and feedings. Says he got some formula and bottles for cases when Natalya needed the rest and he obviously couldn’t feed him the way she can. But because of this constant waking and broken sleep, he’s needed more and more coffee to get through the day. 

But I loved this little Christmas and look forward to many more where Nikolai will be able to open the gifts himself more than Fredka placing his hand on the paper and guiding his hand down. Most likely there will be many brothers and sisters for the little boy too. And not to put down Natalya’s motherly instincts, but they will be better honed as she has more. It’s as mother said, the first child you are scared to death on every sneeze and cough. I think the fact that Nikolai had gotten over the croup just before the neighbor’s children fell ill made her really scared. And not like I would object to being around Fredka more often. He is my best friend after all. Best friend I ever had. 

He’s worried about his brother. His last letter said he wasn’t going to join but at the same time it didn’t say he would never. It said if one of his fellow troopers did join, he would as well. So Fredka is panicked as he sees his brother’s fate tied to someone he doesn’t even know. He keeps trying to talk Matthew into moving to America, but after the Lusitania, it’s getting to be a concern this nation would enter too. I know Katyusha is looking to learn nursing and become a Red Cross Nurse helping out in Europe but I share Fredka’s concerns for her. Not just for her safety, but how it will affect her mind. She does have a caretaker’s heart but would that make up for the horrors of the wounds she’d have to look after? Seeing men with horrific injuries that no one has even dreamed of in their worst nightmares die despite her best efforts, even after doing everything right? She cries when the biscuits are slightly overcooked or she had a bad day at work. Things not even in the same league as battlefield medicine. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry) Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say other than remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	31. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

January 15th 1916

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones.)

If I knew where that Wayne guy was I’d go all the way to Canada and kneecap him for talking Mattie into joining the army and getting roped in that European nonsense in the first place. He was a freaking Mountie; no one could call him a coward! He had a duty to his home country over here! I was hoping that would have kept that trooper buddy of his wanting to stay in that maple flavored country so much but noooooooooooooooooooooo he just had to get wrapped up in that fucking bullshit about honor and all that crap. I mean I just get home from a long day at work where I swear I have had to nearly smack a French Major Bonnefoy for getting too flirtatious with me. I don’t care if that’s fine in France, you’re in America making some deal because apparently So-so technically chauchat machine guns are only good for making into moonshine stills! Yes. Apparently some of the Americans who joined up with Canadians who got ahold of those said they suck and made moonshine stills out of them. You cannot make this up. But hey, with the hell that is going on over there, I’d need moonshine more than bullets. 

But no, other than that Major Bonnefoy who tried to flirt with me, a married man whose wife would gut that Frenchman like a trout, who was there to seal a few munitions contracts our firm drew up for a few companies, I come home expecting to see my wife and son, who is crawling around more and more these days and he actually looks at me and smiles when I say Nikolai but I come home to a letter that Natalya gave me from Matthew. She hadn’t opened it which surprised me. Said she had a bad feeling about it. Guess she was right. I haven’t drunk much since Nikolai was born but I needed one after this. I had begged him not to! Begged him! What good does honor do you if you are dead?

And I know Katyusha is being sent to a hospital in England to help the soldiers who get sent back to that island but she’s safer there than Mattie will be. And that is only about a year then she will come back here for a while. Although this was a softer side of Natalya that takes a lot to come out. She actually hugged me and told me it would be okay and she had faith Matthew would be safe after I had vented the feelings out in the backyard by taking my baseball bat to the tree. Now I need a new one. Sucks. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. And yes, historically the chauchat machine gun sucked so much that often they were picked up off the battlefield to make moonshine stills. Soldiers thought it useless as a weapon. I call it the “So-so” in discussion because of that and the French pronunciation sounds a lot like that. (Like Show-show) Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	32. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

January 15th 1916

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

It is so nice being back home. The neighbors are no longer contagious and Nikolai is growing up so fast. He is speaking a little bit of baby talk. Fredka swears what he heard as “da da da” was him trying to say ‘daddy’ It seems like he is picking up on English. I hope he does pick a little Russian easily. Fredka has been picking up on more and more himself, which makes it harder for me to hide when he is annoying me. I remember around Christmas when he was playing with Nikolai and his new ball a lot I had said, “Vy vedete sebya kak rebenok, kotoryy s"yel vse konfety v magazine” and he had replied back that he hadn’t had that much candy, just 4 canes and some of a gingerbread house. Which honestly is like eating all the candy in the store. I also wonder what big brother is teaching him while they are at work. Is he doing that on purpose so that I don’t have that so I can talk with my son without his father hearing? What if I wanted to plan a special surprise for Fredka alone with Nikolai? Then again maybe if both parents can speak both languages, Nikolai will be more apt to use both. The neighborhood kids will speak English so he will with them. 

However, Fredka was so distraught when he read the letter that came in from his brother today. I cannot say I do not blame him and do not understand what he is feeling. As close as he is to Vanya, it is never the same as your own brother. I have only met his brother a few times and while he seems to be afraid of me, which I do not understand if he is a Canadian Mountie, maybe he is different while on the job, I never imagined him being so willing to go to war. He seemed innocent enough and this war will ruin him. However, Fredka grew up with him so the bond is very strong. I do hope that the United States stays out. I could not handle it if I were in his shoes. I shudder to think what would happen to Vanya. Poor man broke his favorite bat in his rage. I will have to get him a new one when I grocery shopping again. But I vowed “to have and to hold for better or for worse” and as his wife, I must be there for him to have to support him. 

Translation note:  
“Vy vedete sebya kak rebenok, kotoryy s"yel vse konfety v magazine – Russian- You are acting like a child who ate all the candy in the store.

Obtained via Google Translate

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	33. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

January 16th 1915

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

It was a snowy day so I decided I would walk with Fredka to the office today and he looked to be in the world’s worst mood. A mixture of anger and despair. Mentioned so much about how he had a headache and needed a new bat because his ‘broke’ but it wasn’t until lunch I got it out of him. His brother, who is a Mountie in Canada, joined the military and is now being trained to head off to the war, if not already. I do remember how I felt when Katyusha said she would be sent to England for a year to work in a Red Cross hospital, but I know she is safer there than Matthew would be. And while Katyusha isn’t going to England until February, we still get to see her off, be with her until she gets sent to her duty. 

From what Natalya told me while Fredka was busy gathering everything he needed, as he is so adorably disorganized with things, he had read the letter when he got home and not wanting to cause a scene in the house, yelled a little bit but went outside and took his bat against the oak tree in their yard with such force it broke in half. After that bit was over, he had a few glasses of bourbon to calm his nerves. No matter what he was determined to not let Natalya or Nikolai see more than they did. Natalya was not phased, and Nikolai doesn’t understand much. He is speaking a few words of baby talk, hard to determine which he is picking up on more, English or Russian or a mix of both as Natalya is insistent he learn both and speaks in her native tongue after hearing babies pick up on languages easier this way. 

I understand completely why he would be so upset. He’s worried. How he described Matvey, he is good at his job and does his policing duties well and honorably, but war is different. It is hell. It is hell when you don’t have modern weapons and gases coming at you. Fredka has been trying to talk him into moving to New York for a long time, longer than I had even known him apparently and this just confirms in his mind that he was right about where his brother should live and he must be so frustrated. I hate seeing him like this. His smile always lightens my day and my heart and to see him like this just scares me so. I know he’d never hurt Natalya or Nikolai and with the way she is, if he even tried, she’d kill him herself. I do worry about him though. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	34. Letter to Matthew

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

January 16th 1916

Dear Mattie,

Just what the hell were you thinking? You know how dangerous it is, you told me in some of the letters you sent! I am sure that none of your fellow troopers would think any less of you of staying back in Canada! You may be good at your job up there, but war is different, really different. I just don’t know what the hell was going through your mind to think that was okay? That Canadian whiskey get you too good? Seriously bro! You’re going to miss out on so much! Nikolai’s turning one this year. He’s already making baby talk mumbling, rolling all over the house and playing with the toys you gave him best of all. I swear he loves that freaking stuffed polar bear with nothing else!

Look, I’m sorry if I sound mad, because well I am. I am mad and I am hurt, but I am writing because Ivan suggested I do so and tell you how I feel. I was honestly thinking of just icing you out until you came back to my doorstep after something bad happened. Vindictive? Yes, I know, but Ivan is quite insightful and helped me to at least cope better with what you did. He reminded me of something I had talked quite proudly of when I was being a jerk when I first met him. Our family has a long military history of getting involved in every war America has been in. And since you are in Canada, well you took that tradition there too. And it would not be right if something happened to you and I never tried to set things right, or at least let you know how I feel. You’re my brother. I love you. I may hate your decision by god, but I love you. 

I’ve enclosed the family portrait we had done back on the 7th. That’s when Christmas is usually celebrated in Russia and Natalya while wanting to get in well with how things are here in the US, doesn’t want to forget what it is like back home. Apparently she has already beat a man who wanted to harass her for her accent when she went to the grocery store the other day. The way she is, Natalya is your best friend and most loyal woman you could ever hope for, or your worst enemy. And to be fair, if this country does go to war, as there is more and more people calling for it, I would face the same tough decision. Not to brag or trivialize what you must have been thinking, as you do have a clearer head on your shoulders than I do on a lot of things, but I would think it would be easier if you don’t have a wife and kid at home. If something were to happen to me, I know that Natalya could handle herself, at least I think she could, especially if there’s Ivan to help support her but I wouldn’t want to leave it on her. And if you need anything when you come home, let me know. I’ll see what I can do. I don’t want to leave you hanging. Although I owe you a noogie when you get back okay. You don’t go scaring me like that. 

Your dearest brother,

Al

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	35. Letter to Alfred

I do not own Hetalia okay? I got a decent response to this story and it is a kind of challenge to write it in this format. But anyway, enough of this A/N on with the fic!

May 31st 1916

Dear Al,

I’m sorry for upsetting you like that. And for not replying sooner. Although you probably expected there to be a massive delay. Or you should have. Trust me, if something happened to me you’d know before the last letter I send would get to you. If nothing else my upper level officers are good at getting the next of kin, the tragic news that their loved one got killed in no man’s land. We’re getting settled in here near the Somme river. Funny thing happened when I made it over to Britain before being shipped over to France. You see they wanted to do a physical examination once we made it over there before being deployed and the nurse who took my vitals for the doctor was a one Miss Katyusha Braginsky. Small world huh? She said she took this nursing gig the Red Cross offered and was sending her pay back home. She was tired of feeling like a shameful ward of her younger brother and wanted to so some good and have some excitement. Well she is going to get it if what I saw in some of the other wards proves true.

They also had us fill out a pretty grim form of who to contact in case of death. That was more important to them than any other. I put your name and address down. You know how to handle me no matter what. I don’t know how long it will take for this to get back to you but trust me, I am looking out for me and my fellow Canadians. I’ll do our family proud. You do remember how upset Mother was when Dad got sent to Cuba? Pretty much a lot like you were in that letter. But he came back. Although he died from Malaria when we were 16 and the doctor said he got it back in that war…. But I am not fighting in the tropics, France is a lot like it is back home. It can be pretty wet though. I’ve had to get used to walking in the trench muck. It’s worse than anything else I have seen back in Canada and there’s some nasty mud there too. 

Send little Nikolai best wishes from his Unkie Matt. I just noticed the date I wrote and it is his first birthday. I wish I could be there to see it, from what you told me Natalya will be so happy he made it through his first year. Although he is your son Al, nothing could get to him unless he did something incredibly stupid to earn it. May I remind you of ice skating on thin ice with no shirt on when you were 13? You had pneumonia for a week because of it. But with Natalya as his mother, he’s not going to do such foolish things as she will stop it before it begins. 

Mess call was just sounded so I will wrap it up. Sounds like from the rumors we are getting double rations today. 

Your dearest brother,

Matthew

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry.) Let me know in a review. I’m going to try and get the others entries for this day up today. Just depends on how I am feeling. I did put a quick throw away reference to All Quiet on the Western Front there with the double rations comment as that is how the book opens up. It’s a good read about World War 1. Mind you it’s from the German perspective as the author Erich Maria Remarque was German, but much of the experiences are the same. Anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.


	36. Alfred's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

March 3rd 1917

(from the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

We’re heading to the docks today to see Katy in. She’s done her year with the Red Cross for getting trained as a nurse and will be coming back into New York today. It’s been nerve racking since those Krauts have started attacking American ships again. Like what the hell dude, we ain’t even at war with you guys. Yet anyway. I don’t know who had schnitzel in their frontal lobes, but I can’t imagine it’s a good idea to keep antagonizing this country. We’d kick their krauty kraut asses, especially if they are getting as worn down as Mattie suggests in his letters. Then again, he may just be saying that so I don’t worry about him too much. That would be so like him. He’d never tell me just how much trouble he was in until I had seen it myself. Although if he was here in the US, his home wouldn’t be pulled in automatically because of weird British ties, we fraught a war with England for that 141 years ago.

This war has me so worked up, I nearly forgot what Nattie told me yesterday. She’s expecting another child. I kind of suspected so when she was having the same morning sickness and appetite increase she did when she found out she was going to have Nikolai. Although, it does seem to be more so than when she was pregnant with Nikolai as well. I’m going to have to talk to Katy about that. She’s old enough to at least remember how her mother was when she was going to have Natalya and maybe could remember before Ivan was born. Maybe I will have my little Daddy’s girl to spoil this time around and teach Nikolai how to beat up anyone who would harm her. I mean a big brother is the protector of his siblings after all. Although because of complications Mother had giving birth to Mattie and I, he’s older by 3 days but doesn’t act like it, at least when we were kids he didn’t so I had to defend him. 

Nikolai is moving and walking and talking all over the place. He’s a loud kid. I’m surprised the cat we got to help control the mice hasn’t scratched him yet. We’ve had to block off the stairways because he keeps trying to climb them and he can get up a few but then can’t quite get down without falling or crying for me when I’m home. Often I’ll come in and hear ‘Daddy koshka not play’. He’s picked up on the Russian word for cat. I mean I call the furball 'hero’ but Nattie calls him, 'ubiytsa myshey’ which means 'mouse killer’ He loves that thing so much. Although Natalya swore when we got it if it scratched Nikolai, she’d skin it and and learn Chinese cooking. The cat took her seriously I think. Because I wouldn’t put it past her when it comes to her children she’d do something like that. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? for a journal entry anyway? Let me know in a review. You World War 1 history buffs, will see by the date of this one that a lot of things are going to boil up pretty soon. For those of you who are still learning I will give this, Arthur Zimmerman told an American Journalist it was true, his telegram on the date this happened. And from the concerns, unrestricted submarine warfare is still going on. Anyway remember to read, well you just did and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	37. Natalya's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

March 3rd 1917

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

We are heading to the docks today. Katyusha’s ship back to the United States is coming in today. So far we have not heard about any German fool enough to try and attack a ship that is full of Red Cross nurses, not like I would put it past them to try. I do know she is going to be overly excited when she sees how big Nikolai is now. I swear that boy is growing up fast. He looks so much like Fredka. He has my hair color and eyes and Vanya claims he has Fredka’s smile. I think it looks a lot like mine however. But the one thing that I am certain of is that he has Fredka’s energy. The neighbors say two year olds, well he’s not quite two yet, are very energetic. I still stand by the fact that Nikolai is a very energetic two year old, especially given who his father is. At least the cat knows better than to scratch him when he plays rough with that animal. I have told him not to, but as everyone knows, no two year old can be supervised all the time and will not listen to their mother all the time. 

Katyusha is also going to be overly excited when I tell her the news. I am pregnant again. We weren’t even trying this time. Ever since Matthew had been shipped off to war, Fredka has held tightly onto me and sometimes I guess he is more romantic than others. The baby is due in the fall, sometime towards the middle of October but I am feeling twice as worse as I did before Nikolai was born. The doctor didn’t say if it was of any significance, but that just sometimes some pregnancies were rougher than others. I do remember the last time I told Katyusha and she squeezed me harder than Fredka could, which was surprising for her. I don’t know if I want another son or a daughter this time. Fredka is using this as his chance to have a daughter. She’ll have a very strong and protective big brother. I make sure that any time he plays with one of his balls it is outside after he had knocked over a stand with his ball and nearly knocked over the set of crystal decanters that Fredka’s boss had given us for our wedding. Well I must finish this up, Fredka has Nikolai ready to go and we will meet Vanya before we take the trolley to the docks. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry) let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say on the note to this one, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	38. Ivan's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

March 3rd 1917

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

Well Katyusha made it in safely. I cannot say I wasn’t concerned, what with unrestricted submarine warfare continuing. That’s causing more and more people to call to get into the war. I know Fredka is frustrated because his brother is in the war and he has only a few letters since Matthew wrote him last May. He’s been over more and more since Katyusha has been out. Sometimes just before work, sometimes for a little while after and sometimes with Nikolai and Natalya or just Nikolai. He assumed I would be alone because she was out of the house. I do admit that it was a little quiet but I live for the days when he would be over. It always was a bright spot in the day when he did. He is the one person I care about more than any other. When Nikolai was over, we have to be especially careful. Often those days involve taking the toddler to the beach and watching him run in the waves or play in the sand. I just love seeing Fredka play with his son on the beach. It’s just so perfect and I wish it would never end when it does. 

Once Katyusha came in, she noticed Nikolai sitting on Fredka’s shoulders watching the ship come in and she picked him off his father’s shoulders and twirled him around fawning all over the boy. I swear he is near identically to Fredka. He does have his mother’s eyes but he defiantly has the smile of his father. It was when Katyusha was holding Nikolai, he told her “Aunt Katy, I going be big brother” Certainly an eloquent sentence for a nearly two year old. At this, Katyusha looked over at Natalya and smiled, and once again hugged her tightly. She had asked if she had set up Nikolai to tell her, but Natalya just said that he will tell anyone anything and was planning a better time to give her the news. Fredka just laughed and told us that Nikolai is as excited as he is about it. 

I’m quite excited too. Natalya and Fredka have me as such a big part of Nikolai’s life, they are going to do the same with this new baby. Maybe if they need a break from how busy they will be, maybe I can watch them. Fredka seems very happy and if I can see a smile on his face, it makes my heart soar. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry) let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say on the note to this one, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	39. Alfred's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

April 7th 1917

(from the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

So it is official, the US is at war. Between the submarine warfare and that Zimmerman telegraph thing, where Germany tried to get Mexico to attack the border, that was it. But it gets worse. Much worse. So not only did my blood brother think it a brilliant idea to join in this war, but turns out my brother-in-law, the man I see just like another brother, even if I wasn’t married to his sister enlisted too. Said it was some noble thing that I stay and he go as he doesn’t have a pregnant wife and child like I do. What in the hell is going on his mind on that one? It wasn’t a pleasant scene when he told Natalya. She punched him in the face which was quite an achievement for someone as little a she is and in her condition. I guess she’s not in that delicate a condition right now. She’s only about 5 foot 3 inches tall and he’s 5 foot 11, nearly 6 feet tall and bulky. Next thing I knew was I heard a string of Russian profanity so fast, that I could only partially keep up. I’ve picked up on some of the things Natalya said, and it must have been really, really bad because Katyusha covered Nikolai’s ears and took him to his bedroom until this all settled. Figuring Natalya could handle her own, I headed into the study and let her have at him. Maybe venting the frustration in person is better than hiding it in a letter.

But seriously, Vanya knows what is going on there. I know he’s concerned about Katyusha. I know that even though after her stint over there in England as a nurse she has a little more self confidence and not as much as a crybaby as before but that is his sister after all. I did say I would take care of her once tempers did calm down a little bit, but I don’t know what I would do if I lost both my brothers in this. I’ve read what happened to some of Mattie’s fellow Canadians and the fact I haven’t gotten a letter since last October is scaring me. I have to keep telling myself no news is good news, but it is not helpful. I can hardly look at him right now. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? for a journal entry anyway? Let me know in a review. Anyway remember to read, well you just did and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	40. Natalya's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

April 7th 1917

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

I can never, ever, ever in my life recall being so mad at big brother in my life. I would have made sure Fredka stayed here. He created my children, he is not going to get out of helping me to raise them and provide for them by dying in a war. Vanya did not need to pull some honor bullshit and say he’s going so Fredka doesn’t have to. I get that Katyusha can be a pain to be around sometimes, but this isn’t the answer. As Fredka’s closest friend, I know he knows what his brother is going through right now. What makes him think that he would be any different? He did tell me that if we were still in Russia, there would be civil war we’d have to survive too and I told him that we did not come so far to have this happen. He broke Fredka’s heart. I have never seen that man cry before in my life, but when Vanya first told us, he first argued against it, then he broke. Which filled me with a rage I never had before. So much that I struck him. He deserved that black eye. 

So then he goes and tries to talk Fredka and said something about looking after Katyusha, and how it is a family duty to look out for each other and then he said something insane that actually made me furious at my husband as well. That if Fredka went instead of big brother, and he were to die in this war, which is highly likely in case Vanya is foolish enough to think otherwise, that I had Vanya to help me. So I told Fredka if he did the same as big brother, the army would get a corpse. I am not going to lose both my brother and my husband due to this. That seemed to get some sense into his mind. The papers were already signed so I couldn’t threaten big brother the same, but I cannot lose him, I cannot lose Fredka. I just hope this didn’t cause an issue with the unborn child within me as well. I just cannot. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry) let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say on the note to this one, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	41. Ivan's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

April 7th 1917

(From the journal of Ivan Braginsky)

That was the hardest thing I had to do, but I had done it. I couldn’t let Fredka join up. He would have felt he had to in order to follow his family tradition. But he has a family of his own. Natalya, little Nikolai, and there are more on the way. Maybe more than just one because I do not recall her being that big at this point when she was going to have Nikolai and he was a large child. I do not have a wife and child. I have been taking care of Katyusha, but I made him promise to help look after her while I was gone. I also know that he’s scared. Matthew had joined to help Britain last year and the letters he sent back sound awful. He’s been lucky when many of his unit has been wiped out at the first start of the Somme. I’ve gotten some Canadian newspapers to keep track of what happens to him. I suggested Fredka do the same but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It’s all over the news. When I said I had joined up, I thought Fredka would hit me and Natalya be begging me to stay but it was the other way around. Katyusha, the one I thought who would be crying the most had to keep them calm, if for no one other than Nikolai’s sake. Maybe her time working as a hospital nurse in England left something on her. 

It must be very hard on Fredka too, his brother had enlisted not too long into 1916 and he’s only gotten a few letters that tell of what he’s going through. He never would say to me what he has read, but I noticed one of the letters left out while I was visiting one day and while sounding horrible, all the rain, life in the trenches, constant artillery barrages, even then he sounded like he was covering something up. Fredka called me insane but I couldn’t let him get pulled into this. I mean if he wasn’t married, I am sure he’d have joined up at the first call. That’s who he is. But I will not let Natalya be a widow all alone with young children. Just the fight we had when I did was horrible and he said that Natalya always had me if that happened to him, but I made him promise to look after Katyusha if something were to happen to me using that same logic. Katyusha sees him as a little brother as well and it is the family duty to look after each other. Wasn’t until Natalya actually seriously threatened him for the first time in her life, and I am not counting when they first dated, that he conceded. I know not every man joining up is in my shoes and many are in Fredka’s but they don’t have a wife like Natalya. Also I couldn’t go on if Fredka died. I love him too much to see that happen. 

And I still have not shook what kind of feelings I have for the man in the first place. He’s my best friend. This is what best friends do. But at the same time, the idea of his death makes me want to die. I had to do this. To protect them all. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry) let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say on the note to this one, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	42. From Lt. Col Kirkland

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

April 29th 1917

Dear Mister and Mrs. Jones,

I am a Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Kirkland of her majesty’s army and I regeibly have terrible news for you. Back on April 9th at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, an artillery barrage began and this ignited the said confrontation. It was during this battle that the Canadian Corps who were partnered with the British Military began an attack towards the German trenches. It was a long and hard fought battle but by April 12th the corps had seized in capturing the objective.

Now the reason I tell you this and write to you is that during this barrage and attack, a Matthew Williams was injured in the line of duty, taking shrapnel to his right side and falling victim to a faulty gas mask during a gas attack. For the past few weeks, he has been recovering in the hospital from his injuries. There were many scares as I had personally become interested in the Canadian Sargent after witnessing his leadership on the field and determination to carry out the objective as directed. I remembered my assignments to obtain procurement contracts back in the states and remembered your Mister Jones, and at first glance thought Mister Williams was you. He explained he was your brother and with this I felt it my duty to personally inform you of his fate, especially after some of the unacceptable behavior my French counterpart Major Bonnefoy had said to you when we last were in each other’s presence. 

Mister William’s recovery has been very fortunate, well as fortunate as one can hope for. He is still fighting infection but he is showing signs of improvement. Sadly however, because of the damage that has been done to his right side and even greater impairment of his vision, as he has lost most all vision in his right eye from the explosion, he is being honorably discharged and sent back to his home in Montreal Quebec in the great nation of Canada when he will arrive there on June 23rd of this year. I have seen to his travel arrangements myself. Let me be the first to express my deepest condolences at this time and if there is anything that I may be able to do to help make this easier on you at this time, feel free to write. I do not know how fast I will be able to see to the request, as we are at war and I have heard from many sources that the United States had joined in this hell scape of a war. While news from the home front may take a long while to get back to the trenches, words like that spread fast. 

In the time I had spent with Matthew obtaining this information needed to contact you, he has told me much about you, more than I had learned from the brief times we had spoken before. Please wish my best to your wife and son. He certainly is an adorable child. May I once again send my deepest condolences at this time.

In her majesty’s service, 

Lt. Col. Arthur Kirkland. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? for a journal entry anyway? Let me know in a review. Anyway remember to read, well you just did and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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	43. Alfred's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

May 20th 1917

(from the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

Well things are busy right now, if nothing else. Vanya finished his training and will be spending some time here before he is shipped off to Europe. I still hate what he did but I am coming to terms with it. I got a letter from that snob Lt. Col Kirkland today. It’s as I feared, well not entirely. Mattie’s injured pretty bad. Bad enough to get discharged. I am going to go up to Montreal at the end of June and pick him up and bring him back here. If he’s half blind and has a hard time moving around, he can’t go to work where he was before and I will have to look after him until he can get back on his feet again, no pun intended. I am kind of proud of him. He’s made Sargent and one can’t do that unless they are good at their job, even if this war has become nothing but sending people to be cannon fodder until one side’s government has had enough. 

Ivan told me he’s been assigned to the ambulance corps as a driver, why I don’t know, but apparently they thought he had a knack for driving fast in a way that doesn’t care to get somewhere fast. Honestly I don’t know how to feel about that. I was hoping they’d just stick him on the quartermaster department or something that has him in England as one of his fellow soldiers say, “Polishing a seat with his ass”. He’s still going to be on the front lines but it’s an unspoken rule that you do not attack the medical corps. But accidents still happen. We’ve been able to at least have the family on good terms before he leaves. It’s important because I don’t want the last things I said to the man I consider to be like a brother is vile things. I mean he’s the one who told me the same thing when Mattie joined up. 

Natalya seems to be okay with where he was placed and sees that as an actual honorable task than being sent into the meat grinder. She thinks that only those who have steel nerves in the worst of things are suitable for this task. But she is annoyed he won’t be here for the birth of our second child. I did promise a picture when she’s born. I have a feeling I will have a girl this time. It goes boy-girl-boy-girl, at least I hope so. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? for a journal entry anyway? Let me know in a review. Anyway remember to read, well you just did and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	44. Natalya's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

May 20th 1917

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

Well, today has been something. I don’t know what exactly. I do know that come June, that Fredka will have to go into Canada for a few weeks to bring Matthew back here. The man survived, but not in one piece apparently from the letter we had gotten today. He’s alive at least. I have to look after Nikolai and I do not feel like traveling over 400 miles on a train ride that will take a few days with a young son and a harsh pregnancy. I swear I did not have this much trouble with Nikolai. It’s almost as if I am twice as exhausted, twice as hungry, twice as everything that comes with it. Vanya says it is because last time I was not raising a young son at the time but I don’t think that is it. Katyusha said maybe I am having twins. I don’t know how that would be. She did offer to allow me to stay at big brother’s house then. She will be the caretaker of it while he is gone. 

It was heartbreaking to explain to Nikolai what was going on. I mean how do you tell a two year old about war? I think Vanya did a good job of saying he was going to help sick and hurt people by taking them to the doctor. He seemed to understand that, even though that boy does not like having to see a doctor himself. With that I told Vanya that he had better come back home because Nikolai loves him too much. He gets so excited when him and Fredka take him to the beach to play. He was disappointed when he couldn’t when the winter had set in because it was too cold. There was a fair amount of snow this year, so Fredka taught the boy how to make snowballs and throw them about. I know that man has quite an arm and I was worried he’d throw them too hard but he takes great care of Nikolai. When Fredka and Vanya get into throwing snowballs or even sand balls, at each other, one or both of them come back with bruises. Nikolai does get his fair share of play with them in, but they make sure to never hurt him and let him think they had been bested by the child. 

Well hopefully Matthew isn’t so hurt that he can’t do something similar with Nikolai. That boy needs someone to play with. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry) let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say on the note to this one, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	45. Ivan's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

May 20th 1917

(From the journal of Ivan Braginsky)

Well it is the last few days I have before I am shipped off to Europe. I was assigned as an ambulance driver, which seemed to calm everyone down. Somewhat at least. It is not like I will be out of danger. I would be in the heart of it. However, Fredka said that at least in the medical corps, they wouldn’t be aiming for me. I hope so anyway. I had just found out today that Matthew was discharged himself after a bad shrapnel injury. It’s a shame that Fredka gets what he had been wanting for years this way. He wanted Matthew to come to New York on his own accord so he could enjoy time with his brother like they used to. Summer is fast approaching and I will admit, I do not look forward to the injuries and infection and various other nasty things that I will likely see this time of year. 

I think I will miss Fredka and Nikolai the most. I remember that even before he could run like he did now, he wore Fredka out when we took him to the beach and he’d always try to build sand castles, well mounds he called castles, and then laugh when a wave swept it out to sea. He’d always want to go deeper into the water as well. Fredka kept a tight hold of him and while the water was only about to his chest, Nikolai is still little enough that he felt the water beneath his feet and liked it. I can see that boy becoming a great swimmer when he gets older. Fredka isn’t bad himself so he has a very good teacher. I have to admit it always a sight to behold to see how far he’d swim in the summer until Natalya yelled for him to come back, which was often beyond when he could hear her. She does not swim too well herself and waded in the ocean with Nikolai more often when the whole family went to the beach. However, often it was just us men, Fredka, Nikolai and I. He claims he wanted Natalya to have some time to herself and knew that with Nikolai’s energy she’d be worn down fast. 

I am sorry I will miss the second child being born. I wonder at times if they will be having twins. Natalya is so big. Bigger than she was with Nikolai, and I know he was a large child at birth himself. However, Fredka promised to send a picture, that if all figures are accurate, will be right around Christmastime when I see my new niece and or nephew. The ship leaves in a few days and I asked Fredka to accompany me. I have to tell him a few things I don’t want my sisters around for. I mean if I can even find the right words to say it without ruining all we do have already. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry) let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say on the note to this one, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	46. Ivan's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I know I skipped a bit of time on this section but it’s building to the big drama coming up. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

May 26th 1917

(From the journal of Ivan Braginsky)

Well I am heading back to the continent I was born on, at least for a year. Most likely more, but for at least a year by what the orders say. Barring any injury or miracle that this ends this cursed war early. It was a most painful goodbye and I know no one was comfortable with it. Little Nikolai sensed something was wrong. Last time he was at these docks was to see his “Aunt Tetya Katy” when she came back from England. He’s been picking up on Russian from Natalya, who is insistent he speak both his mother and father’s native tongues and mixing the two languages. It was hard saying goodbye to the little boy. I bought him a large ice cream cone, much to Natalya’s disapproval to quiet him down while I spoke to Fredka alone. I had to tell him. I may never see him again. I pulled him to the side and told him just how much he meant to me. How I never felt better with any other person on the planet. I may have silenced the man for once in his life with this talk. I then held him close and just felt that for a moment. Following that I took his face, kissed him on the cheek and then his hand. I told him with that kiss my heart was in his hand. He paused and looked at me confused. He then regained his composure and smiled at me, I guess assuming it was some custom from the old country, and said, “I will miss you too so much Vanya. I want you to come back safe. Safer than Mattie did. I will make sure that Katyusha is kept safe. You’ve seen what I have done keeping Natalya and Nikolai safe.” He then did the same series of kisses, once again I am assuming he thought was just a ritual from back in Russia and said “You have my heart in your hand too bol'shoy brat use it to stay safe.” He’s picked up on Russian from Natalya and I and had recently taken to calling me his big brother. Fredka then hugged me tightly and I could feel the tears coming from his face. He didn’t want to break down in front of Natalya or Nikolai as he thought they needed to see him as a stable rock being the husband and father he is. 

Shame is, that while I had pretty much confessed my feelings my heart and soul, I don’t think Fredka saw them the same way. I guess it is best that way that he sees me as a big brother so that keeps the family together, so Natalya does not become repulsed at two of the closest men in her life. I do have the photo taken not too long after Christmas of 1916 in my wallet. My little sister, my brother-in-law and my precious little nephew. I will come back. I will fulfill my duty. You will have me as the honorable figure you see me as. 

God this is so painful, saying goodbye to those I love to go into the hell mouth of war, the mangled bodies.... just be with me lord. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (for a journal entry) let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say on the note to this one, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	47. Katyusha's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? Now some of these chapters will be told from people who haven’t been before, but that’s to show how the story is progressing. But anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

June 20th 1917

(from the diary of Katyusha Braginsky)

It has been a little under a month since little brother was shipped over to the war. I have been left to keep his house in order while he is away and currently to look after Natalya and Nikolai while Fredka has to go up to Montreal to pick up his brother who is being sent home from the war. Why he couldn’t come straight into New York is beyond me. Must be easier, correct? Or it may be some silly army regulation I don’t know about where he must go back to where he lived first. Although to be fair, they do have to pack up some of his things and bring them with them. Through what few letters they did have before he was injured, Fredka and although it was reluctantly on her part, Natalya did agree that if something like this were to happen, they would help by letting him stay with them. They have quite a spacious house with a few spare rooms so that Matvey does not have to feel like he is imposing. I know all about that feeling though.

Natalya did insist that she could handle the household with her and Nikolai without having to come over, but honestly I needed to have someone here with me and honestly I wanted an excuse to see my favorite nephew again. He’s just so darling and most often when Fredka or Natalya brought him over before, Ivan was the one he played with more often. And Natalya is too proud to admit when she does need help. Maybe if she wasn’t pregnant I would believe her, but she is and this one seems rougher than her last one. Call me crazy but I am thinking they will have twins this time around. I swear she looks twice as big as when she was going to have Nikolai. That was the reason she didn’t want to go with Fredka to meet with his brother after all. I don’t blame her honestly. Besides it’s nice to have someone in this house besides a big grey furry cat that Vanya gave me to keep me company. Cats aren’t people. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (at least for journal entries?) Let me know in a review. The story is progressing more so you’ll see entries and letters from people other than the main 3, but mainly Katyusha and Matthew. So anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	48. Matthew's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? Now some of these chapters will be told from people who haven’t been before, but that’s to show how the story is progressing. But anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

June 20th 1917

(from the diary of Matthew Williams)

So here I am, a few days from Canada. On a boat heading towards the Saint Laurence River, to Montreal then from there Alfred is taking me back to New York. That is if that letter Lt. Col.Kirkland sent got to them. He assured me it had and he had made special precautions that it would get to them so I wouldn’t be left at the port half crippled and alone. Apparently my captain has been told of my injuries and while he did it in a very polite way, wired back saying I needn’t worry about resuming to duty with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, I served my duty to them. I’m discarded from them about as quickly as I was in the army. I even made freaking Sargent! I mean I am glad I am not going to find what happens to the other veterans who make it out alive but have no one to help them, but god it’s going to feel so freaking bad. I’ll be living with Al and his wife and kid. I mean I hadn’t seen little Nikolai in person since he was born and I am sure he likes his Uncle Ivan better than he would his Uncle Mattie. And I have this distinct impression that Natalya does not like me that much. I don’t care if Ivan said she only likes a few people, it’s still unnerving being around her. She scares me a little. Love must really blind a person if Al isn’t afraid. 

I know when I was in the hospital Lt. Col. Kirkland said to keep a journal of my thoughts so they aren’t prowling in my mind, but what does he know? He’s been either in procurement making deals with American supply companies or in some cushy office job in London. Not like he’s been in the trenches. At least that French officer that he seems to have a love/hate relationship with sees the destruction done to his home first hand. I swear he and Major Bonnefoy argue like an old married couple. But no, I saw some of my fellow soldiers die. Many of them fell beside me, and I tried to lead them while getting aid to those who were hurt. The bombs going off, and me yelling them to make it to the trenches, kick those kraut’s asses and make it back. It wasn’t easy. I pulled a white haired German off one of my men in my command and decked him in the face, only for him to pull a Luger on me, and I had to shoot him back. That haunts me. I never had to do that before. Going hunting is nothing like this. I think the bangs of the ship’s boilers are artillery shells. It’s hard getting used to the fact that what they say is true. I’m safe now. I’m alive. I should be happy. Well I’m not. Very much not. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (at least for journal entries?) Let me know in a review. The story is progressing more so you’ll see entries and letters from people other than the main 3, but mainly Katyusha and Matthew. So anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	49. Alfred's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? Now some of these chapters will be told from people who haven’t been before, but that’s to show how the story is progressing. But anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

June 20th 1917

(from the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

Here I am, on this train into Canada. To take Mattie back to New York after his injury. I wanted to see my brother again, I wanted him to move to New York with me. Just not like this. Defiantly not like this. I’m glad Nattie is okay with him staying with us. Hey, their nicknames rhyme. That’ll be fun in the house. I mean Nattie does not like some of the pet names I tried to give her thinking they are too flowery or cliched or dumb. I mean will Nikolai be able to tell me and Mattie apart? We do look a lot alike after all. I would hope my son would know what his father looks like after all. Then again the biggest tells are how our hair is and eye color. Something not a lot of two year olds will be able to notice. 

I kind of wish they were here with me. I mean want Mattie to think he’s welcome as soon as I meet him off the boat. But I don’t want Natalya pushing herself more than she does already and Nikolai is still rather little for long journeys on a train. Although I had seen a few kids his age run up and down this train being obnoxious, something that I and defiantly Natalya wouldn’t allow him to do, I mean this thing is moving! They could get hurt! Natalya yells at me and Vanya when he slips and hurts himself playing with us before he was sent over to Europe. And it’s my fault in her eyes that he got sick off that big ice cream cone that Vanya gave him. I am not taking my son’s ice cream his uncle got him and eating it. But if Vanya wasn’t an ocean away she would have let him have it. I just dealt with her scolding and moved on. I know she is as upset as I am, if not more. 

Although I wanted to ask her about those kisses he gave before leaving. I don’t know if it was something they did in Russia or just because he was overly emotional for the time. I mean I get why he would be. Meh, I just want him back alive and hopefully in better shape than Mattie is. 

I just realized that this is the first time in a very long time I had gone a long distance just me. No Natalya or anyone else. It’s like being a bachelor again. But not as fun. I see my wedding band and just miss that I can’t show Natalya this beautiful countryside. I still want to see the Pacific with her and Nikolai of course one of these days. I had gone to the Santa Monica pier one summer before I had met her and I loved it, she would too if she thinks Coney Island is fun. Just to see her ride in on the shore with a rare smile makes me miss her more. God I feel so alone. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? (at least for journal entries?) Let me know in a review. The story is progressing more so you’ll see entries and letters from people other than the main 3, but mainly Katyusha and Matthew. So anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	50. Matthew's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I’m glad to see so many reading and liking this story but at this part it won’t be an easy order of each other’s thoughts like before. A lot will be happening in the Jones and Braginsky families in 1917 in this story, so you’ll see a lot more. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

June 24th 1917

(From the diary of Matthew Williams)

Well, it’s something. Packing up my whole life into a suitcase and a few things to be shipped down but a lot of this I am having to sell or give away. Al has been a great help when I couldn’t pick things up or just had a hard time determining if I should keep or get rid of something. He made me keep my old Mountie hat, jacket and boots saying they’d be useful in the New York winter but I could tell he thought it would be better if I kept it as a reminder of what I could do. He does have a point but at the same time, I have no more use for them and I am still have my uniform from the war. I still remember how he looked as I walked off the ship. I need a cane to get around effectively because my right leg doesn’t move the way it supposed to without causing great pain. It still is weird having only half my vision. He suggested I get an eye patch and look all badass, and I know he means well, but just, I don’t know. Ivan would look more badass as a veteran with an eyepatch in my opinion. 

It had happened before he could write and tell me, but he informed me of Ivan’s decision and his reasons. Meh it doesn’t matter much in the end. I didn’t want to tell him how dangerous ambulance driving was. Al’s still under the idea the armies are noble enough to not shoot the medics. From what I have seen they don’t try to, but they also don’t try not to either. I’m also glad to hear he and Natalya are expecting again and to hear so much about how Nikolai has grown. I’m happy for them, I really really am. Yet, I don’t feel happy. Does that make sense? I can hardly feel anything anymore. And I know Al is doing his best to try and understand I know he gets frustrated, but just how do you explain it? I have no clue.

Al has been asleep for awhile now as it is getting late and I assume he hasn’t been able to get some quiet for awhile what with Nikolai and all, but another thing I have been having a hard time doing a lot is just that sleeping. Last night I had a drink with him of the whiskey I had left in the house before I had left and it helped but not much. I’m also trying to fight the urge to just fall into that bottle. It’s not easy. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I have a lot planned for these later chapters and I do hope to get this story finished by the middle of November, but we’ll have to see how it goes. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	51. Alfred's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I’m glad to see so many reading and liking this story but at this part it won’t be an easy order of each other’s thoughts like before. A lot will be happening in the Jones and Braginsky families in 1917 in this story, so you’ll see a lot more. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

June 24th 1917

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

Mattie is defiantly not the same he was last I had seen him before the war. And I am not meaning with his injuries. I mean with his personality. He was always quiet around me before this, but he wasn’t timid. He would speak his mind, just not as vociferous as I have been told I am. It was hard getting him to get on the streetcar and to his house. I had to pull out my address book to find his new address because I frankly couldn’t get him to tell me the way. Ended up asking someone at a coffee shop how to. Unfortunately he spoke French so I was in the out with him. Matthew could speak French so he got the directions and just led me along pointing the way. Figuring he’d be hungry after spending nearly a week at sea crossing the North Atlantic, I found what I could in his house and made what I could out of corned beef and some canned crackers and a can of green beans. Tried to make it look better than an army ration and I don’t think I managed to do so, but I didn’t want him hungry. I went to the local shop and bought a few things to make decent meals from. 

I don’t want him to throw away what he was either. I packed his old Mountie stuff that he had thrown away. Honestly, he’d thrown away a lot. Said he didn’t want me to have to pay a lot to ship it to New York. I had made his favorite, pancakes and sausage, all drenched in maple syrup with coffee that has syrup instead of sugar and he hardly touched anything. Ate about half of it because I insisted he do so. I then told him he’s fine because I assumed the army had given him smaller portions so his stomach needed to readjust but I don’t think that was the case. He had dove under the table when a truck passing by hit a bump and the cargo rattled. Screamed at me, “What the hell are you doing? They’re shelling us! Get the hell down!” Until I told him he’s in Canada not France. No one is bombing us.

Hopefully playing with little Nicky will put him in a better mood. I don’t know what else to really do for him. I mean I don’t want him to drink himself to death, as he seemed to like the whiskey we had as a nightcap last night a little too much. And god, what if Vanya comes back the same way? I remember one of the first letters I got from Mattie when he was in Europe. You’d never think the same people wrote them. I’ll have to ask Katy if she’s seen this when she was working at that hospital in England. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I have a lot planned for these later chapters and I do hope to get this story finished by the middle of November, but we’ll have to see how it goes. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	52. Ivan's Letter home

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I’m glad to see so many reading and liking this story but at this part it won’t be an easy order of each other’s thoughts like before. A lot will be happening in the Jones and Braginsky families in 1917 in this story, so you’ll see a lot more. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

June 24th 1917

Dearest Katyusha, Natalya and Fredka,

I am sorry I haven’t written you any sooner, but as soon as we had made it to England, I was sent for a physical examination and extra training. My unit is partnered up with a British unit of much under the same assignments. Many of the American regulars had been sent to France to join the fighting right away but they wanted to train us with basic first aid and driving before sending us down to take part of our duties. I had also toured the hospitals, much like the ones you were working at and it made me nervous. So many injuries. I had read about this, heard what you had told me Katyusha, but it’s something different actually seeing it. 

Some of the British and French soldiers I had run into seem pretty hopeful that once the Americans joined the war it would end quickly. I don’t know, I am no military stratigest myself but I sure hope so. But these same people thought this war would be over by Christmas 1914. If they were right, I wouldn’t be here. Matthew would not be sent home so injured, at least from what you told me Fredka. Send him my best wishes and if Katyusha does not mind he can stay at my house if he feels he’s being a burden on you. Many of the soldiers who haven’t been sent home just yet but in a similar position said they felt they would be a burden on their families and with you expecting another bundle of joy, it may be too much, I don’t know. While I could be certain of how he would feel before this, after I don’t know. This has changed a lot of men from what I hear, always keeping my ear to the ground.

In about one week from my writing of this letter, I will be sent to France to begin my duties with the injured. They made sure that my shooting was still good and had given me a rifle and pistol to defend myself just in case. Do not worry, with this I will be safe. I will make it back to you whole and honorable. Especially you Natalya, you are in a delicate state and worry won’t help the baby. Don’t you fret for me either Fredka. You need to be there for Natalya and your brother as well. Thinking of me and what could go wrong will not allow you to do that. You told me that your heart would protect me. Well I believe that so you should too. Don’t tell me you just told me that so I would be okay. 

Your loving brother,

Ivan

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I have a lot planned for these later chapters and I do hope to get this story finished by the middle of November, but we’ll have to see how it goes. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	53. Alfred's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I would like to thank all those who have stuck with this story so far. While word count, it isn’t that long chapter count due to format is kind of high. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

July 4th 1917

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

Well today was a nice birthday, we even had Mattie come along. It had been a rough week for him, getting adjusted. I mean it’s rough moving somewhere new when you don’t have shell shock. I will say that Natalya had been nicer than I was expecting. She is very strict and I worried that she’d see what I am assuming as shell shock as some do, as a failure of moral character. No, she saw it as more justification to hate the leaders of Europe. She had been really bitter since Ivan had shipped off. Less so angry at him once the whole thing settled in, but as she says, “If those aristocrats handled their disputes like men, then the average person wouldn’t be sent to the killing fields.” When I did come home with Mattie, it was just as I thought would happen with Nikolai, he thought he had an extra copy of his dad. I had motioned for Mattie to introduce himself. He was reluctant, and didn’t want to talk to anybody but it was also for Natalya to judge him. One of her big things on meeting someone is how they treat her son. Nikolai went up to him and said, “You look a lot like Daddy.”

Matt then said with a slight smile, “I am your Uncle Mattie and haven’t seen you since you were born.”

Nikolai then looked a little shy and said, “ Want to play with my ball with me?” He placed his favorite ball in his hands.

“Sure.” Matt smiled, for the first time in awhile and Natalya looked relieved. She worried he’d snap and hurt him. 

“Outside though. You’ve nearly broken enough things.” She replied as Nikolai then gave Matt the ball and led him to the backyard.

And while he has been here, he has had a few flashbacks and episodes like before, especially when the trolley or a loud truck goes by but he’s slowly getting an idea of the warning signs and tries to get himself somewhere private until it passes. Dinner the first night back he nearly had an attack but got up and ran into the bathroom until it passed. I asked him why and he said he didn’t want to scare Nikolai. I did tell him the fact he could sense one coming on was a sign he could use to get it under control. Gave him a little hope. 

He did seem to handle the boardwalk fine. He did have to sit down a few times as walking isn’t easy for him. They couldn’t get all the shrapnel out. He did manage to keep some of his shooting skill, he won Nicky a teddy bear at one of the games while we were out. Natalya was watching him like a hawk but it seemed like he would be okay with Nicky. He really seemed to take to his Uncle Mattie at least. Once could say it was a nice birthday present.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Once again, thanks to all who fav, review and follow all this. Anyway, remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	54. Natalya's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I would like to thank all those who have stuck with this story so far. While word count, it isn’t that long chapter count due to format is kind of high. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

July 4th 1917

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

Today was Fredka’s birthday and we went to the boardwalk to celebrate it and his brother’s birthday. Matthew was born 3 days before Fredka. Just found it easier to celebrate both at once. Fredka thinks if he has happy things to do, he will adjust better and hopefully his shell shock episodes will lessen or even go away. We had given him the room that Vanya stayed in while he stayed over. It is right across from Nikolai’s and he has taken to his uncle well. I am about 5 months along and have already started moving things around for the new baby’s room when Matthew had stopped me once while Fredka was at work and did his best to move some of the clutter out. Said that he felt like he needed to do something to earn his keep. He had mentioned something that that jerk Lt. Col Kirkland had told him that as a discharged veteran, he might qualify for a pension but I told him not to worry. Just assisting with the housekeep and playing with Nikolai was enough for me.

He still does have flashbacks. He was nailing a portrait up for me when all of a sudden he hammered the nail fast, eyes widened and he dove behind the living room sofa hyperventilating. Thankfully Nikolai was napping at the time but this was as the neighbors dropped a bookshelf they were moving outside. Loud, thud like noises often set him into these which leave him shaking for awhile afterwards. Once he realized he was not still in the war he then went up into his bedroom until Fredka came home and talked to him. I tried to tell him I thought no less of him for what happened, but I think he will only accept that out of his brother.

While we were at the boardwalk he passed a tall white haired man and he froze and backed away from him. Apparently from what Fredka told me, he had to shoot a German who looked a lot like that man. Now I had not known Matthew as long as Fredka had, but from what I had known, this is quite a change. Matthew had a quiet heart and was very caring of a man before this. He didn’t take too much joy in beating on criminals when he was a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and was the one officer who would help the lost children and things like that. This has me worried about what will happen to big brother. He isn’t in the same type of duty as Matthew was, but will see a lot of the same things. He does have the same type of strong but soft heart and Katyusha said when she was working as a nurse, some women couldn’t handle it when a patient died under their care. She understood you can sometimes do everything right and still the patient dies. Will Vanya know that? Can he handle the constant barrages that are happening with lives in his hands? I would like to think so but the same thing was true with Matthew as well. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Once again, thanks to all who fav, review and follow all this. Anyway, remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	55. Matthew's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I would like to thank all those who have stuck with this story so far. While word count, it isn’t that long chapter count due to format is kind of high. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

July 4th 1917

(from the diary of Matthew Williams)

We went to Coney Island for Al’s birthday today. They said mine as well, but they don’t have to do anything. I know they are trying to help me adjust and I appreciate it, but I just feel like a burden. I could hardly keep up with Natalya even, and she is very pregnant. I mean really pregnant. I am beginning to think there is something to her sister’s theory that she is expecting twins. Wish there was a way to see inside there and find out. If there is one thing I am kind of looking forward to, out of the whole lot of nothing I care about right now, it’s that. 

I was worried about how Natalya would take me having to live in the same house as her and her children with me as fucked up as I am. I mean there have been times I have been close to having a flashback in front of Nikolai and I don’t want him to be scared of me. It took a few days for him to be able to tell Al and I apart. He caught on quickly. We both have a weird cowlick, mine is curlier than Al’s which just points straight up. He does seem to like me. Little Nicky really likes his Uncle Mattie.

He liked spending the day at the boardwalk. He saw a teddy bear that he wanted and pulled me over and asked me to help him win it for him. Al nodded and so did Natalya who was looking for a bench at this point, and I picked it up and was able to win it for him. I was always a crack shot, one of the best in my unit back in the Mounties and Al and I always were pretty close when it came to shooting. Natalya said Ivan was pretty good as well and that all 3 of us needed to get into a shoot off when he came home to see who was the best. But wanting to make Nicky happy, I shot, despite being half blind, and won him that teddy bear. He was always wanting me to ride the rides with him, wanted me to carry him and look at the ocean with him. Al’s quite happy with it. I mean I don’t know what the kid sees in me, but Natalya said young children can see the best of anyone. It’s kind of nice. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Once again, thanks to all who fav, review and follow all this. Anyway, remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	56. Katyusha's letter

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am glad so many of you like this story. I don’t have much else to say here so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

September 17th 1917

Dear Ivan,

I know you want to know how things are going back here and it has been an adjustment to say the least. I have been taking good care of your home. Back at the end of June, Fredka’s brother had moved in with him and Natalya. According to him, the war did not do Matthew any favors. It changed his personality greatly from what Fredka has told me. In addition to the injuries he sustained you know about, he has a bad case of shell shock. Pretty much any time there is a loud bang, like the trolley going by or trucks backfiring send him into war flashbacks until someone reminds him where he is. They don’t necessarily come out of nowhere but he does have a few signs he claims he can tell when a bad spell is coming on. During these he often quickly heads to my, well yours as well, house. 

You see he does not want to scare Nikolai. Nikolai has been the one thing that keeps his will to live going. He had been discharged from his Mountie unit as soon as he was discharged from the military. That crushed his soul and while I had helped to take care of him when he had these spells or simply his injuries “acting up” which is happening more often as the fall is starting to set in, he has told me many things he for one reason or another does not want to tell Fredka or Natalya. He finds it cosmically funny I was the one who took his vital statistics before his prewar exam and jokes that he finds it funny I am still single. He hasn’t talked to anyone else like that. In his darker moments he confessed to me if he didn’t have Nikolai, he’d fall into drink or end his own life because of what he had lost from the war. We’d offered to take him to church with us a few times and he did go but said he didn’t feel like it much after that. I think he’s lost his faith. It can be disheartening to see that, but I know he has to find his way on his own. Forcing one to do a certain thing is never good for coping. 

One ray of hope that we all in agreement with is that we cannot wait for Natalya to give birth again. She is huge as there is only about 2 more months to go. And we are nearly certain there will be twins. Matthew thinks there is going to be a boy and a girl. Natalya doesn’t mind as she has a son already. Just think what she would do to poor Fredka if she only had girls. Remember how crazy she was to have Nikolai in the first place? She’s been very good to both Fredka and Matthew in all this, upholding her wifely duties well. If you recall, Fredka was worried how well she’d tolerate Matthew living with them. Even with his shell shock, she has been appreciative of him as long as he doesn’t as she called it, “become a drunken lout”. Maybe having Nikolai has softened her? Although honestly it has bred more resentment in her against European Aristocracy than she had even before we came to America. You do remember some of those rants she had then. I swear if we had stayed she’d be part of that ‘People’s Revolution’ I hear about from some of the others from the old country. You were right, finding a man who is ‘man’ enough to handle her did her wonders.

Your loving sister,

Katyusha.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? I know I time-skipped a bit but at the same time I want to get a big part done and it happens soon. So anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	57. Ivan's Letter to Katyusha

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am glad so many of you like this story. I don’t have much else to say here so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 25th 1917

Dear Katyusha,

I am sorry it has taken me awhile to reply to your letter. Today has been the first day in a very long time that I have had a day off and a chance to rest. We drive quickly into no man’s land and then drive the injured to a field hospital. Not all of those we pick up ever get treatment sadly. We do the best we can however. I am just doing my duty, but a fellow driver named Ernest said he’s in it for the danger and adventure. As long as the injured get the care they need, I guess he’s doing no harm. We stabilize who we can others, we just put in the back and as I have heard, ‘put the pedal to the metal’ and get back to the hospital. I have had to cover a few of my fellow medics while they were treating a patient. Some of those Germans are just plain evil. We all have red crosses on our equipment so they should know better. I don’t think they care at this point. I was talking with a Major Bonnefoy, the same one who made an advance on Fredka years ago, and he told me the Germans were slowly weakening and this was what he said was their death throws and they’d be more vicious. God I hope so. How did you handle it big sis? I know it isn’t the same but I know many of those you treated might not have made it, by no fault of your own of course!

It’s good to hear about Matvey finding you as someone he can talk to. You said he asked why you were still single? That is funny. I am sure he is a good man. But how is his ability to provide for you now? All seriousness though, I’m saddened to hear the war affected his mind as well as his physical health too. I had met him only a few times before the war and he seemed to be a good person. But the way you talk about him and Nikolai tells me that that good core is still there but in a delicate state. And I am very glad Natalya hadn’t been too strict on him after what happened and is placing the blame where it should be. 

Although one thing we are never really prepared for is when we are called to the trenches for nothing more than to take the sick men to the hospital. There is a flu brewing around and it is spreading rapidly. It’s to be expected with how the trenches are, but at the same time something seems different about this. I just thank you for the extra socks you sent with your last letter. If you don’t keep them changed, you get trench foot and it makes running damn near impossible. I promise you, I promise Natalya and Fredka and even Matvey that I will make it back alive. Between me and Ernest, we’ve been called some of the craziest, bravest and best drivers. With someone like him working with me too, we’ll be okay. Don’t worry and help Natalya when she does give birth. I want to see the pictures! 

Your loving brother,

Ivan.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? I know I time-skipped a bit but at the same time I want to get a big part done and it happens soon. A few historical notes on this chapter. Author Ernest Hemingway was an ambulance driver in World War 1, this the name. Real life Ernest was in the Italian front (this one is set in the French) and got injured in 1918 and sent home. His experiences led him to write A Farewell to Arms. I would recommend it as Hemingway is a good read. And some illusions to the start of the 1918 Spanish flu. No one knows where exactly it started and the name only came from the fact Spanish newspapers were freer to report it than other countries. Most sources do agree however that the conditions in the trenches helped to spread it. I do love putting historical references like that in my stories. I did it in Klondike with a reference to Jack London, who was part of the Klondike Gold Rush and that inspired some of his stories. Those aren’t a bad read either. But enough pimping of my own fanfics and some of the classics. So anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	58. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am glad so many of you like this story. I don’t have much else to say here so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 11th 1917

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones.)

Well I see why Nattie was twice as exhausted with this pregnancy than she was with Nikolai. We had twins today. A boy and a girl. Both Katy and Mattie said they suspected as such and laughed at my disbelief. They didn’t at Natalya, but if I remember she didn’t think there was twins. It’s not like we can just see in there and know! And as with Nikolai, I was to stay by her side the whole time. So like last time, we sent Mattie to get Katy, and it took a little while longer than it did before because of his injury and the fact it was a cold rainy November day. I had to keep running back and forth making sure the gas was on well enough to keep her warm and to put up with her labor anger at me. Like she forgets that I never do anything like that unless she agrees and she has told me no plenty of times. 

Well after awhile they finally showed up and Katy handled the midwifery duties. She seems to have a real knack for medical care and took over quickly. Mattie looked after Nicky while Nattie was in labor. After awhile, I lost track of the hour, the babies were born. My little princess first and a little brother as well. So today was little Anya Yvonne Jones and Ivan Fredrick Jones’s birthday. We had decided that if it was a boy we’d name him after Vanya. I then asked Katy if she remembered any names her parents had planned if Ivan was a girl and she said ‘Anya’ so we agreed on that. As for middle names, those were actually some of Mattie’s suggestions for names in the first place. Natalya didn’t like Yvonne as a first name, but thought it okay for a middle. And since we both missed Vanya so much, and worry so much about what will become of him, it was only natural we chose Ivan for our little boy’s name. 

Once Katyusha said it was okay, Mattie brought Nikolai in and he seemed to take really well to his new siblings. If you saw Nattie’s face in labor and when she was showing Nikolai how to hold Anya, you’d swear that she had a demon exercised from her. I just wish that Vanya was here for this. I am going to send him a picture of course, but it is not the same as being there. I know how much he lighted up when he got to hold Nikolai for the first time. God I miss him. At least Nikolai is looking to be a good and protective big brother and helping his mother with them. Although I don’t think we will be trying for any more kids for awhile. I don’t know how I could put up with a nearly broken hand each time.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. And the idea for the middle names came from my fic Klondike where Matthew and Katyusha named their children after their brothers they hadn’t seen in a long time. So anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	59. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am glad so many of you like this story. I don’t have much else to say here so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 11th 1917

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

I see why I was so tired with this pregnancy. Twins. I cannot believe it. Katyusha says they cannot be identical. Well I kind of figured that one out big sis. Heck I think twins being identical aren’t as common as you would think. I mean look at Fredka and Matvey. They are near identical and while you can tell Matvey from his limp now, the only way that one can really tell the difference on appearance is the eye color and the hair. Matvey’s is fluffier and has a curly cowlick, Fredka’s is straighter and his cowlick sticks straight up. He really likes it when he is holding onto me and I stroke that. Think that is how I ended up pregnant with twins....but that is not appropriate here. I’m just grateful that this birth was smoother than his because his mother was in labor for 3 days after Matthew was born. I don’t think I want any more children any time soon. I’ll have to ask Katyusha is there is any timing methods we can use if I want to be intimate any time in the future. I may change my mind later on, but Nikolai, Anya and Ivan are enough right now. 

We named the twins Ivan Fredrick Jones and Anya Yvonne Jones. I liked the idea Fredka had about naming the boy after big brother. He even asked Katyusha if she recalled the names our parents had in mind before he was born if big brother was another sister. As for the middle, they were some of Matvey’s suggestions and Fredrick is a lot like Alfred just without being direct naming and well, I don’t like Yvonne that much, it kind of reminds me of the name Ivan, just sort of feminized in English so I was fine with it. I miss him and wish he could have made it for the birth. I know why he can’t, and I agree with Fredka that soon we will get a new family portrait done and send one to him. We typically do one every year around Christmas but this one has a special meaning to it. Just so much has happened this year, good and bad. This would be harder if we didn’t have Matvey with us to help.

I know he still is depressed about how he ended up after the war. One can only walk with a limp and lose their dream job and get by on the idea of “at least I am not dead.” I understand that. One thing he has been struggling with since he moved in, even still to this day is the fact he still has years to live in this state. But he has taken well to Nikolai, even helped to take care of him while Fredka was busy while I was in labor. Nikolai is just a very energetic little copy of his father, I swear. Makes me wonder how Anya and Ivan will be when they get older. Katyusha says I should get some rest after giving birth. She made sure I was able to feed the twins and she and Matvey are looking after the children insisting that Fredka and I get some sleep. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. And the idea for the middle names came from my fic Klondike where Matthew and Katyusha named their children after their brothers they hadn’t seen in a long time. So anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	60. Katyusha's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am glad so many of you like this story. I don’t have much else to say here so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 11th 1917

(from the journal of Katyusha Braginsky)

Today was a very busy and joyous day. Natalya finally gave birth. And it was like I thought. Twins. A boy and a girl. It had taken Matvey longer than last time to get to me but I handled the whole birth myself. And Fredka’s hand injury. Like with Nikolai, Natalya insisted Fredka be there every moment she was in labor. First was little the little baby girl and then the boy. They were named Ivan Fredrick Jones and Anya Yvonne Jones. As usual, Natalya insisted on Russian names for their first. I think, even if Fredka didn’t like them, he knew better than to challenge her on that. I know why they chose those names. I do recall Fredka asking if our parents had an name picked out for a girl when Vanya was born and I did recall a name they had discussed was Anya. They miss him so much. We don’t get a lot of letters simply because of the nature of his duty and the time it takes for mail to cross the Atlantic on a good day. 

Matvey has really taken to Nikolai and made sure he was not in the way while Natalya gave birth. Goodness knows that is chaotic enough without a two and half year old running around. I know he’s been trying to cope with how the war affected him, and it did badly, but if nothing else I like to think that maybe, just maybe Nikolai is giving him motivation to not fall into the traps that many in his shoes do. Not to mention that if he did, Natalya would let him know just what she felt on the matter. Well Fredka is arranging for a family portrait to send to Vanya hopefully that will get to him before Christmas. If not Christmas than Epiphany. He’d love it so much. 

I do worry though that despite his constant promises he will make it back okay, that if he does, he may be worse off that Matvey is. I have only brought this up to Matvey. I figured that since he was on the battlefield himself, he would understand better. That and when it comes to Vanya, the idea of him dying is a more sensitive topic to Natalya and Fredka. He’s Fredka’s best friend in the world and almost like a big brother to him. Natalya would never leave Vanya’s side back in Russia unless he made her. Even that took a lot of force. He had a role that Matvey is trying to fill in their family as I think he caught on to that dynamic himself but as much as he tries, it will never be the same. In the end Matvey said one can only have faith and pray that this comes to pass. As thankful as I am to the lord for the blessing of my new niece and nephew and for Matvey being alive at least, as I never expected to have such a good friendship with Fredka’s brother, I do worry about Vanya. It’s the cloud that rains on these rays of sunshine we do have. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. And the idea for the middle names came from my fic Klondike where Matthew and Katyusha named their children after their brothers they hadn’t seen in a long time. So anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	61. Letter to Ivan

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I like to thank all who read and enjoy my works. It really makes me feel better about what I do. I do have plenty of other fics you may enjoy as well if you would like to check it out. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 27th 1917

Dear Vanya,

It’s been awhile since I have been able to write but I know you would want this. It’s a family portrait. Back on the 11th of this month, Natalya gave birth finally. Katyusha acted as midwife and we have two new additions a boy and a girl. We named them Ivan Fredrick Jones and Anya Yvonne Jones, in your honor bro. Now I don’t know if this will get to you in time as Katyusha put it in with a care package she prepared of some of her homemade preserves from the garden she put in out back. Said she was bored without you there and needed something productive to get into and Matt’s been helping to tend to it when he is with her. He sometimes goes to her place (well it’s technically yours but you get the point) when he’s having a bad time with his shell shock. I told him I’d be fine with him at the house even when he has what he’s dubbed “a bad spell” but if that is what helps him, who am I to judge. She also packed a lot of hand knit socks and a new scarf. She said the one you always had is likely ruined by now. 

She’s also been keeping us posted on what you told her is happening on the battlefield. You don’t say much to Nattie and me and I know you’re worried about how we feel but while the saying is ‘no news is good news’ Nattie (and I myself honestly) do not do well on ‘no news’ as our minds tend to go wild with worry. I seen how Mattie is and I worry about you on that alone. Don’t get me wrong, I know you can look after yourself but this is a whole new type of war. I asked Matt if those krauts aim for the medics and all he said is “not on purpose”. It has us worried. I can’t be mad at him for his bluntness, because it is the truth but please!

On a more cheerful topic, Nikolai has taken to being a big brother well. He helps Natalya with the diaper changes and keeping an eye on them. Mind you they aren’t even a month old yet but he does his best that a two and a half year old can do. He’s getting big too. He’s already a little taller than the other kids his age we sometimes meet up with in the park. Must get that from your side of the family, despite Nattie being such a little (yet fierce) thing herself. Despite her power packed in a small package, she is the world’s best mother to the kids. They are very well taken care of and she would take down a whole army to keep them safe. I wish you were here and this war would end soon. I know you won’t be here for Ivan and Anya’s first Christmas, but I have a very good feeling that you’ll be back on American soil next Christmas I miss you bro and can’t wait to take the kids out like we did before the war and just the summer afternoons we had as a family. It’s not the same without you. Get back soon! We miss you!

Love from your brother (in-law but still),

Alfred.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say on this closing, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	62. Ivan's letter to Alfred

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I like to thank all who read and enjoy my works. It really makes me feel better about what I do. I do have plenty of other fics you may enjoy as well if you would like to check it out. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 25th 1917

Dear Fredka,

It’s a Christmas Miracle as one could say. I got your letter yesterday and today have time to write. It’s still much like Katyusha had told you from what I wrote her and yes, as Matvey said, the Germans don’t aim for us in the medical corps and ambulance drivers, they don’t avoid us either. However I have been able to keep my patients and myself safe. Well at least the ones that weren’t too far gone when I had gotten to them. Since you asked for honesty, I won’t lie to you that it is disheartening. I have had a few close calls where I have had to fire at the enemy just to keep them off me, but this is war after all. I have gotten pretty good at sensing when I am getting fired at and focusing on loading the injured as part of my duties. I will keep my promise I made of returning to you. 

When I read that you and Natalya had named the twins after me, I grew teary eyed. Ernest, one of my fellow drivers was about to make fun of me for it, but I showed him your letter and he let it go saying “congratulations buddy” It really got at my heart to hear that. I wish I could have been there but I am just grateful I got a chance to see them, even if it is in just pictures. Tell Katyusha that her gifts are very thoughtful and I am surprised the jar made it across the Atlantic and through inspection fine. The Army is not one for care. It was very sweet, she always puts lots of sugar in. Honestly though the socks she sends are my favorite one as it is the most useful. You would not believe how fast they can get ruined on this duty. If your socks are soaked you can get your feet soaked and in boots in this mess it leads to trench foot and that hurts. 

The camp kitchen actually has us a decent meal for Christmas I am eating while I write this. It is never as good as Natalya or Katyusha’s cooking, but it’s something at least. Better than hardtack and canned corned beef I have had to eat a lot of. I used to like corned beef and cabbage but I don’t think I could eat it ever again after this. I’ve had so much that was subpar and partially covered in mud, it’s just ruined for me. A break for the chaos is nice, but could never match the Christmases we’ve had before. I cannot wait to get back and meet my new niece and nephew and make Natalya mad when I spoil them. You did say she yelled at you for that ice cream cone I got Nikolai before I was shipped here. Do not worry about me and if you must, just keep me in your prayers for comfort. I will come back. I promise. 

Love from your brother (in-law but still to steal your closing),

Ivan

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say on this closing, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	63. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am thankful for all you who have read and faved and reviewed this so far. I don’t have anything else to say so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

February 14th 1918

(From the diary of Alfred F Jones.)

Today was a rather quiet day. Natalya has been so busy with the kids lately, I decided that for her for Valentine’s this year I would take the children and Matthew to Katyusha’s. He didn’t seem to mind and Katy loved seeing the kids again. I like to think that they are making life better for both Matt and Katy. Katy was rather lonely before and well Mattie needs something to give him hope for the future. He’s been reading a lot of books, complained I didn’t have enough that he thought would be good enough to read. What, isn’t Jack London and Steven Crane good enough? The rest of the books are ones that Natalya brought with her and they are in Cyrillic, so good luck with reading that Mattie. I may have picked up on basic Russian since I married Nattie, but god knows I cannot read how it is written at all. 

Seeing how she has been working herself so hard, even with Mattie’s help, I figured I would just give her a day to us. God knows we haven’t had a day like that in years. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids and family and would do anything for them, but one cannot neglect their marriage either. I handled dinner though. I don’t think Nattie liked my burgers like she used to. She could hardly get enough when she was pregnant. She said that women often will have their tastes influenced by the babies while pregnant, so I guess that means they take after mine? Well she’ll make sure to keep them to have a diverse diet though. While Ivan and Anya are too young to have anything besides milk, Nikolai is a picky eater. That is until Nattie says he’s going to eat what she has prepared. He loves my burgers though. She often claims I am spoiling him. I think his uncles do more. I mean last Christmas you should have seen how much work Mattie put into a train set for him. He did like the boat better. But man. Ever since he’s settled in, Mattie has taken up wood carving more and more when he isn’t watching the kids. 

But after my romantic dinner of my own cooking, chocolates and carnations, I carried my princess up to the bedroom and rubbed her feet much to her delight, that she never admits. Those shoes women wear these days don’t look very comfortable. I mean they can’t be. How she manages trips to the store in them, I’ll never know. But I think now she just wants me to hold onto her like she does when she’s worried. No matter what I do for her, Vanya is still thousands of miles away in danger. I know just how she feels. It’s killing me too. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Mind you this is just a fluff bridge to some bigger things I have planned. Anyway remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	64. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am thankful for all you who have read and faved and reviewed this so far. I don’t have anything else to say so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

February 14th 1918

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

God help me, he’s a hopeless romantic at times, but he’s MY hopeless romantic and honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t know if he mistook my pregnancy craving as a sign I liked the same things he does or not, but I do have to admit he’s decent at cooking burgers. Makes me wonder what he did before I married him? According to him, a lot of canned goods and if he tried to make something that didn’t require a frying pan, it was mostly a pot of soup beans. Sad really, but I can tell you that Nikolai and Ivan won’t be so pathetically hopeless with their cooking. I didn’t say too much because the food isn’t horrible but it is not my favorite either. However he did it with the purest of intentions so I cannot be mad at him. He’s honestly kind of adorable when he does things like this. 

And while Katyusha and Matthew do well with the children, I always worry about them. But honestly it was rather nice to have it just me and Fredka again like when we were first married. It helped me to just calm down a little bit. I have been so worried about Vanya. We got a letter from him he wrote on Christmas and he said he was doing okay, well as well as can be expected in this horrible conflict, but I also know how he is. He had caught a bad case of flu once when I was about 12 years old and he still would work himself despite needing rest saying he was okay. I remember some of the letters that Matthew sent home that sounded much the same way as what Vanya sent to us. And look what happened to him. Maybe he would still have his job with Mr. Seward when he comes back however. It’s not something that required a lot of physical activity on the scale of Matthew’s former job. And he has us and Katyusha too so maybe he won’t be as affected as he was. I pray not. That’s my big brother. 

I see how seeing Matthew is changed Fredka’s interaction with him and how Matthew feels about it. He knows Fredka is doing is best to work with him on this, but honestly it is Katyusha who is improving his morale more than Fredka. I think Fredka is handling him too delicately and Matthew does not like that. There are times yes we need to but not all the time. He’s still a grown man who served well in the war, and did his duty faithfully. Although I don’t want him getting too friendly with Katyusha. Then again, an injured veteran of the Great War is a lot better than many of the other men who have tried to court her.

Fredka and I are just spending the rest of the night in each other’s arms, as Matthew and Katyusha will bring the children home tomorrow. I feel safe there. Like nothing were to fall onto me or the children. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Mind you this is just a fluff bridge to some bigger things I have planned. Anyway remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	65. Matthew's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am thankful for all you who have read and faved and reviewed this so far. I don’t have anything else to say so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

February 14th 1918

(from the diary of Matthew Williams)

Al had arranged a romantic day for Natalya so he sent me over to Katyusha’s with the children. She agreed to do so of course, she loves those kids as much as I do. I did give her a bouquet of pink carnations and some chocolates. I did make sure to make sure it was an odd number. Al warned me of the mishap he had giving Natalya a dozen sunflowers when he first dated her.Turns out Ivan didn’t tell him that even numbers of flowers are seen as a death wish and yellow isn’t seen to well either. Although I don’t think she’d have the same reaction, but the meaning at this time, isn’t a good one. Honestly it’s not like I am trying to court Katyusha, I just think she shouldn’t get something. She’s a sweetheart. She’s the one who suggested I take up wood carving as a way to help cope with what happened and it seems to be helping, a little maybe. I don’t have as many flashbacks but that’s mainly when the trolley goes by. It’s pretty regular so I know when that is coming and I can tell myself that “no, it is not something to worry about.” Things like trucks backfiring, someone lighting off fireworks, things like that when I don’t know it is going to happen cause those. I guess that’s why I didn’t have an issue with the fireworks back on the fourth of July but I was not expecting ones on New Year’s so I had a bad flashback then. Back during the war, I swear a barrage came almost at the strike of midnight on the New Year. Some of those krauts can be crafty. 

As I put Ivan, Anya and (to much resistance) Nikolai to bed, I have to wonder if I would ever have children of my own because of this. Katyusha says any woman would be lucky to have me. Well thing is she knows me so she sees past the limp and the injury and the depression and the flashbacks. That’s also if the shrapnel hasn’t hit me in an unfortunate place either. Doctors say it didn’t but it got a little too close for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, I love Al’s kids to death and love being their uncle but I want to make him an uncle too. Katy says to focus one day at a time for now and I guess I’ll try that. She’s picked up a lot since she did that stint as a nurse in England. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Mind you this is just a fluff bridge to some bigger things I have planned. Anyway remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	66. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am hoping to finish this story here soon, so be ready for more updates. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

July 27th 1918

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

I am getting so tired of this all. Most every day it is the same thing, artillery shelling, no man’s land, driving like a maniac but at the same time trying to to hurt the soldiers in the back, it’s exhausting. Mentally draining. I hear so many commanders say “This offensive will break those Germans.” Makes me wonder how long they have been saying that. Matvey has been writing me, as Katyusha thought it would help him cope if he helped me understand what it was like for him and they were saying that back when he was first sent in a few years ago. They’re starting to bring out armored fighting vehicles. They look like ramps with steam shovel tracks on them covered in metal but they say this will help end it. One can only pray so. 

My lieutenant told me and Ernest to draw up our wills just in case something were to happen and he is implying that a new battle will begin soon. Sounding like it will be that grand final push that forces the Germans to surrender. I am hoping it is just administrative duty that plagues the army. I hear so many of the soldiers say that if not for “the brass” as they called it, they might have won the war already. We sometimes get injured soldiers from the other side and while I have been called vile names for it by some of the injured Americans, (and I understand why) they say a lot of the same things, from at least what I can pick out, my German isn’t that good. But the looks on their faces of battle fatigue look the same no matter what you speak. 

I hold the family portrait Fredka sent to me close to my heart. I honestly don’t know if I could keep pushing on if not for them. We got out of Russia before it got too bad. I hear so much about the Revolution that took the Tsar and his family captive from what comes in the lines. I know that the higher ups want to censor bad things, but rumors spread faster than the flu in the trenches. I cannot tell you how many of my fellow drivers have been put on sick leave because of it. Some have died from if you can believe it, that flu. Some of the more religious types in the ranks claim it is the end of days, but I do not think that. This is just what war has become. No more of those grand Napoleonic charges. Nothing but lead that this thrown down range while men fight for inches. 

I hope this really is a sign the war will end soon. I have been from my family far too long. Seeing Fredka in dreams, on the rare chance I do get enough sleep to dream, is not enough. I miss his smile, his energy, his optimism. I do worry how this is affecting that though. Fredka is a man that goes from one side to another. It’s all sunshine and rainbows or it is the end of the world and depending on if that unpleasant emotion lands on sad or angry means a lot. If he broke his favorite bat on the oak tree in his yard when Matvey joined up and was so morose he could hardly eat like usual for a week, I would hate to see what happens if something were to happen to me. I can trust that he wouldn’t hurt his family over this, but I worry about him. I just want to have him like I did before and tell him it’s okay and I am fine. But I don’t know. I just don’t know. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Get ready for some bittersweet parts for a while. This is set in World War 1 era after all. If you want to learn more about the era, I suggest The Great War with Indy Niedell on Youtube as that is a very informative channel and I use it a lot for references. And All Quiet on the Western Front is what I draw a lot of from for personal perspective. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	67. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am hoping to finish this story here soon, so be ready for more updates. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

July 31st 1918

(from the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

Today Nattie and I took the kids to the beach to get out of the heat. The twins are 9 months old and crawling around all over the place, well Ivan is. Anya follows him a lot and Nikolai keeps following them trying to keep them from climbing up the stairs. Tells me that he is being a good big brother and keeping his younger siblings safe. Good kid. I have had to run after him and keep a good eye on him. He loves the beach so and is even swimming a little bit. It's more of a doggy paddle but it is something. He can't swim very deep and he wanted to go further. I couldn't let him do that on his own just quite yet so I told him to grab on while I swam out a ways until I could tell that Nattie thought it was too far. I can sense when she is going to scream. We heard a "Get back here you two!" so I sighed and turned around. Nicky was not very happy. Had to explain it was because his mommy is worried about him she doesn't want us going out too far. With this Nicky sighed and just looked on the beach for shells. He found a few and even found a horseshoe crab shell. "Can I send this to Uncle Dyadya Vanya?" He's taken to calling his uncle Ivan Vanya so he wouldn't mix it up with his little brother who was named for him. I agreed and when we get home, he's going to 'write a letter'and send some of the shells he found as a gift.

Reminds me, I should write too. Haven't in awhile and I am sure Vanya is dying to hear from me. It must be hell out there and I want him to remember how much we care and want him back home. God I can't wait till this war is over. I still hold true to my belief that he'll be back here in the States by Christmas.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Get ready for some bittersweet parts for a while. This is set in World War 1 era after all. If you want to learn more about the era, I suggest The Great War with Indy Niedell on Youtube as that is a very informative channel and I use it a lot for references. And All Quiet on the Western Front is what I draw a lot of from for personal perspective. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	68. Letter from Ernest

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am hoping to finish this story here soon, so be ready for more updates. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

August 22nd 1918

Dear Braginsky and Jones families,

I’m sure that Ivan told me of you in his letters, I am Ernest Henry and I have been on ambulance assignments with your brother and I wanted to write to you about what happened today in case the worst happens or he can’t get to you himself. We were on our usual patrol duty, picking up the injured soldiers as our job does kind of have us do and it was at this time we were picking some up during heavy shelling. I mean it was like the worst you had ever seen. For an army losing a lot of supplies, they’re sure putting all they have. It’s like when an animal is dying and they’re more vicious than ever. Well that’s not why I am writing to you. I am sure Ivan told you all what he’s seen from those krauts.

No, I wrote to tell you that his ambulance was hit and he was injured pretty badly. He had crawled out to some of the other doughboys that got injured as well. Poor bastards were already pretty messed up when we had picked them up but that did not help one bit. He got them to the first person he could find that could help him, which was some fruity cheese eating Frenchman, a Major Bonnefoy. Unfortunately a lot of the soldiers that he could bring back were too far gone and many had died along the way. It’s not like he didn’t try, but damn, all the shots, the shelling, I’m surprised he made it to help in time. I don’t know what’s become of him yet. He couldn’t move his legs a lot, so one of those may have been broken in the explosion, I don’t know. I just drive the ambulance and give some first aid. I’m not a doctor. But I wanted you to hear from someone who was in the shit with him that he did his duty and if that damned Frenchman doesn’t put his story in, I will and that man deserves a medal for just pushing on that far. I had never served with anyone else so dedicated to their duty. He spoke of you guys so much and he desired nothing else but the war to be over to get home to you. He’s a real family type of guy, even with you Alfred, you are his brother in law and I know most of my in-laws were just awful. I’m divorced or estranged whatever you want to call it. My wife took the kids and headed back east. I lived in a dying mining town in New Mexico. But I’m leaving that there. With a back story like that, I’m the poor bastard who deserved that shelling. I’m not a religious man but I’m praying that Ivan makes it through okay. Would suck if this is what does that tough ol teddy bear in. He’s the only one that can carry that title and still have respect. 

Sincerely,

Sgt. Ernest Henry.


	69. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am hoping to finish this story here soon, so be ready for more updates. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

August 25th 1918

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

What can I do? I got them to the hospital, but the ambulance was destroyed. I’m told a Major Bonnefoy got me to the hospital and apparently I was screaming for the ones at the wreck until the doctor had just told the nurses to put enough morphine in me to knock me unconscious. I still feel a little disconnected and floaty. It’s hard to string these sentences together.... and it’s hot in here. I know it is August but this seems worse than normal. I’m sweaty but still freezing. The past few days I cannot remember much from the accident until now. Images of a few doctors saying things, nurses injecting medicines, probably just morphine, Ernest saying something then Major Bonnefoy giving him a piece of paper before telling me something in his thick French accent. About the only time I have seen him serious, I think.

I fell out of the bed when I rolled over once, being a larger man does not work well with hospital beds. Took 2 nurses to get me back in and one of them, seeming rather despondent saying I should stop trying to get out of bed on my own, don’t I know I’m paralyzed? Obviously I did not. Most of the time I am here, I am in a daze because they keep saying things like ‘shrapnel’ and ‘infection’ one said ‘septicemia’ and then the nurse give me another injection of morphine. Can someone tell me what is wrong without pumping me full of drugs? Great, another nurse.......

I know I took a break in writing today’s entry but this nurse was sympathetic and actually had some mail for me. It’s a letter from Fredka and apparently Nikolai wanted to send me something. He drew a picture of him, Fredka swimming with him and Natalya and the twins on the sea shore. Fredka’s letter explained what Nikolai drew and he sent some of the shells he found. Well I know that I should be heading back soon, in the condition I am in. Hopefully New York is cooler than it is in this hospital......

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Get ready for some bittersweet parts for a while. This is set in World War 1 era after all. If you want to learn more about the era, I suggest The Great War with Indy Niedell on Youtube as that is a very informative channel and I use it a lot for references. And All Quiet on the Western Front is what I draw a lot of from for personal perspective. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	70. Alfred's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? But by as many entries as there have been so far, I would think you’d know that by now. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

September 13th 1918

(from the diary of Alfred F Jones.)

I just don’t know what to do. I mean I’ve been trying to be there for Nattie when we got that letter from that Ernest guy the other day but at the same time it’s taken me everything to keep calm and let her cry. I mean it’s all we had gotten about Vanya’s condition and it sounds bad. I tried asking Mattie what he thought as he was injured by a shell himself and he said it sounded like for it to be that bad it was a near direct hit. He was hit by the concussion and it was the shrapnel wounds that really hindered what he could do. Some of the doctors were trying to declare him fit for duty until they found out Mattie became nearly blind in his right eye. And when he said that, Nattie headed out into the backyard, away from the kids and let out some of the worst curses against the Germans and politicians in general in Russian I had ever heard. I knew maybe half of them but knew that if she ever met one of them, they were going to be in trouble. Katy said if they never left Russia, she might have gotten wrapped up with the Revolutionaries there. Yikes......

I want to just stop. I want to go over to Europe myself and make sure he’s okay but I can’t. Just the lack of communication is killing me. All I know is that he’s been injured, according to Mattie, he’s likely to be discharged for that injury and that he’d be sent home as soon as they declared him okay. Nattie hit him for that, and while Mattie got mad, I told him to cool it, she’s distressed. I spent my lunch break at work just crying because frankly, I don’t know. It’s been nearly a month since that letter was written, Vanya could have gotten better, well as better as can be hoped. He’s going to be medically discharged based on what Mattie said but he also pulled me aside and warned me that out there there’s just as good a chance that he could die from secondary issues like infection or that flu going around. Apparently from what he said that Spanish flu spreading again was spreading in the trenches when he was over there. I guess because Spain is neutral they’re reporting on other stuff than our papers do. A few guys I know from work and who I sometimes played baseball with got it and one of them did die from it. What was funny is he was only 21 and pretty damn healthy. Weird. I didn’t tell Nattie about this any more than she needed to know and that was just to make sure the kids didn’t stick their mouths on stuff they shouldn’t. Nikolai is 3 and the twins are nearly a year old. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Be ready to have your heartstrings pulled at in these next few chapters. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm


	71. Natalya's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? Warning for this chapter, some ethnic slurs used to portray anger (in reference to the Zimmerman Telegram that was kind of the final nail in the coffin on the US Staying out for historical context) But by as many entries as there have been so far, I would think you’d know that by now. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

September 13th 1918

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

This is just why I did not want big brother to go! I feared something like this!I don’t even know if he’s dead or not. He may, he may not. I know this. I didn’t appreciate Matthew saying he’s going home after that. Yes the man is right about that, but you don’t need to say it! Besides, what would Vanya be coming home to. That man should know how lucky he is to have us so he shouldn’t get too dismissive of how Vanya will probably be coming back. It may be he is worse off. At least all Matthew needs to get around is a cane. I appreciate Ernest sending us this news but I know how soldiers are, they won’t send things like this unless they are certain something really bad is to happen. I want to skin the next kraut I see alive and put the same salt I use to pickle my cabbage on his raw flesh. They started this shit, and because they wouldn’t stop being cowards with those U-boats and tempting those fucking beaners down south is why this country couldn’t stay neutral. I am not an ignorant woman in world affairs you know. Sometimes I think I know more of the news that Fredka does. 

I know I am supposed to stay soft and comforting for the children, but when I got the news, it all came out, the worries I had silenced with blind faith, thinking that Vanya had something that Matthew did not and he wouldn’t fall to the same fate, but I knew that was not the case. He faced the same odds as almost any other soldier did. Although it is like Fredka told me to comfort me, and possibly himself, that the letter was written nearly a month ago and knowing how Vanya is, he’s probably fought off any secondary injuries and illnesses and would be coming home any time and we’d get a letter from some official telling when to pick him up. And if something worse than what happened to Matthew did happen, Katyusha is living at his house and is trained in medical care for soldiers and had experience with Matthew’s shell shock. I can only pray that is the truth. I mean I have enough to worry about with that flu spreading around. I don’t want the children to pick it up if it is indeed worse than year’s past. Especially not little Ivan and Anya. They’re not even a year old. I don’t know what I would do if someone in this household caught it and fell to an invisible bug. Even if that someone was Matthew. I have grown to kind of like him. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Be ready to have your heartstrings pulled at in these next few chapters. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm


	72. Matthew's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? But by as many entries as there have been so far, I would think you’d know that by now. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

September 13th 1918

(from the diary of Matthew Williams)

Well that could have gone a lot better. I am sitting here with an ice pack, holding my desire to beat Natalya back inside because she is hurt, yes and is a woman. Wouldn’t be right. But by god. I was just trying to cheer her up. May not have been the right way to do that I guess. That might have been the veteran cynicism showing, at least Katy warned me about not letting it get to me like that. But I mean the letter didn’t say Ivan had died, just that he was in a bad shelling. I mean I personally wouldn’t hold out much hope, I’ve seen what happens when the shelling is close by. If he does make it home, he’s probably going to be paralyzed, at least from what Ernest described in his letter. And the fact he wrote does not bode well. I’ve done the same thing for Wayne’s family when he was shot up pretty bad. I knew he wasn’t very likely to make it and wanted his family to know he did his duty from someone who was actually there, not just some brass who probably has a form with blanks to fill in at this point. However I defiantly did not say that to Natalya. I’d probably be stabbed. Just that threat I heard (or at least Al translated) about skinning a kraut and putting her cabbage picking seasonings on his skin....yikes.....I still won’t understand why Al wasn’t afraid of her. He’s pretty thickheaded sometimes. 

Although to be fair, she was pretty distressed. Natalya isn’t a nightmare all the time. She is strict but not a nightmare. I did feel that I could warn Al about some of the other things Ivan would be facing even if he got over his injury. As much as they try to keep the hospitals clean, it’s not enough. I mean it’s better than when our grandfather was in the Civil War, but it’s still gross. And that flu that is going around, the one that can take out a healthy guy, well it was going around there before it hit the rest of the world. I was delayed discharge a couple weeks because of it. I did have to calm down Nikolai and the twins when they saw how their parents reacted and it did scare them. They did seem to get when I explained that their mom and dad were just really worried about their Uncle Ivan and the letter had news that wasn’t very good and they didn’t know a lot. The twins, they barely can tell me and Al apart but Nikolai seems like a smart kid. He looked at me with his mother’s eyes and Al’s cowlick with a shade of hair color in between Al’s and Natalya’s and seemed to understand at least as well as a 3 year old can. I do dread what the next few months will bring as I do not think it will hold well. 

Or I could just be depressed again and not seeing a brighter future as Katy keeps trying to get me to. It works. Sometimes. Sometimes, like this, it doesn’t. I pray I am being a pessimist again. Like Ernest said in his letter, Ivan was one of the last people I know of that deserved a shelling. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Be ready to have your heartstrings pulled at in these next few chapters. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm


	73. Katyusha's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? But by as many entries as there have been so far, I would think you’d know that by now. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

September 13th 1918

(from the diary of Katyusha Braginsky)

I’ve been in church all day praying since Matvey brought me the news. He brought the children as Natalya was upset, very upset and Fredka had to work. Natalya insisted he go into work and maybe someone there might be of help for him and that it would show the children resolve. I think she just wanted to be alone. I’m surprised she hasn’t done anything more drastic. She had always been very close to Vanya since we were little. Matvey told me everything he had gotten from the letter with his battlefield experiences. I cannot say that I don’t disagree with his outlook. The injuries like that I had seen hardly ended well. But there is always hope. That is why I am just praying so much. I want Vanya to come home and if he is broken physically so be it, but I pray for him to come home. Which from the injury, it sounds like he will be but I know what is going around. I had one of my bosses with the Red Cross nurses call on me to get trained on flu care in case that Spanish flu in the papers gets worse. Matvey claimed it had been going around the trenches, at least from what he read people were experiencing, before it came here. 

With the flu, the natural risk of infection in a field hospital and those injuries, my medical training says prepare for the worst but my faith says pray for the best. That’s all I can do. The priest has been praying with me and offering counsel. It’s a shame we’ve ended up in an indirect way putting it all on Matvey when he needs it from us. He still has his flashbacks and panic attacks at times. He says he can tell when they are coming on at least but this stress cannot be helping him. He claims the children are a calming effect to him, but they are children and don’t need to be scared by the attacks. 

During my prayer I swore I had a vision of Vanya laying in a bed bloodied, weak and a doctor saying he was paralyzed. He looked pale as a ghost (which is quite something as Vanya was always very fair skinned) Then he got up, perfectly healthy and walked away towards a bright light. I asked the priest what he thought and he couldn’t say. I just hope it is a good omen. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Be ready to have your heartstrings pulled at in these next few chapters. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm


	74. Ivan's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I have a goal of wrapping this story up by November 11th (Armistice day huh?) so you’ll see a lot more on updates. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

September 15th 1918.

(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)

This may be my last chance to write anything down. Between the fever, body aches and pains, and all the morphine they give me, I am barely aware I am in the world. I can hardly keep myself conscious and any time I do fall asleep or pass out I keep seeing a bright light, Mama and Papa even though they died years ago. It is the worst pain I could ever imagine just trying to write this. I cannot feel anything below my waist because of where the injury happened and I cannot move my legs but it is a weird feeling that that part of me doesn’t hurt because it is disconnected in a way. I am aware it is there but not functional. The nurses won’t let me even wheel myself outside as they think the fresh air would help. Let me have some dignity. 

I must get this down quickly as a feel my mind drifting away again. I am proud of what Natalya and Katyusha have done with themselves. Natalya is the most protective mother I had ever seen and Katyusha, despite her misfortune with men has become more confident since she took the nurse training and did that year in England. I love my niece and nephews. While I may never get to see little Anya and Ivan in person, they will know my story and just how much I loved them. Nikolai seems to be becoming a strong big brother figure and while he is only 3, he shows a lot of promise. I think I will miss Fredka most of all. While I will never be able to ever express how deep I have loved him, in a way that I never thought possible, he was always on my mind. I do not wish them pain if the reaper does take me, but I have been growing weaker as the days go by and do not know how much longer I can go on. I am in intense pain and just moving my hand to make the pen strokes is excruciating. My shoulder is also growing stiff as well. I’m going to stop now and try to rest. I’ll finish it later.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say here so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm


	75. Katyusha's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I don’t have much to say but hold onto your heartstrings. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 1st 1918

(From the diary of Katyusha Braginsky)

Well, we got tragic news today. I was first to receive it. An injured British military colonel and a French Major had stopped by my door today. They had told me that little brother, who had been on the ambulance corps, driving the injured soldiers from that blasted forest of barbed wire and mud called no man’s land back to the medical stations, had died when an artillery shell hit his ambulance. They had red crosses on them! Did the Germans aim for it, or were they just firing at random at that point? Apparently according to Colonel Kirkland’s report, it wasn’t instantly and he still worked to get who he could to help, but apparently he was paralyzed from the waist down initially. He had then gotten to Major Bonnefoy who did as best as he could to get the survivors help but most of them were too far gone. They were able to get Vanya to the hospital, but the damage was too great. He had many shrapnel wounds that become infected, and he died a few weeks later of cardiac arrest brought on by the septicemia, at least from what Major Bonnefoy described from what the doctors told him. A fellow driver had told me he was one of the bravest he had known. That was Ernest who had gotten to us with this news before these “military brass” as Matvey sometimes says resentfully. It was the whole foolishness of this that made me take these military officers and walk them over to Fredka and Natalya’s home and tell them exactly what they told me. They would tell Vanya’s little sister and best friend just what they told me and see what their foolish war did. They meant as much to him as I did and I would not be the one to do their dirty work and tell them that one of their family members was killed. 

Let’s just say that I thought the American Revolution was going to start again the way Fredka looked at Colonel Kirkland and Natalya was about to turn her butcher’s knife into ‘Madame Guillotine’ on Major Bonnefoy. Can’t say I don’t blame them for how they feel. Matvey took the children outback to play while the loudest ruckus was ever heard in that neighborhood. They said they had personally respected Vanya and he will receive serval posthumous medals for the valor he showed during the attack but while all nice notions, they will not bring back the loving brother and uncle he was. He was Natalya’s favorite sibling and Fredka’s best and dearest friend. We are to meet with them to handle the final arrangements but that will not be pleasant. Although Colonel Kirkland had given me Vanya’s diary and his things, I think I will sort them out when Matvey and I can get Fredka and Natalya calmed down and at least less loud and violent. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Shot? Long? Sad? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say here so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	76. Alfred's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I don’t have much to say but hold onto your heartstrings. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 1st 1918

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

Well......I don’t know....I just don’t.... I mean I am calmer than when Colonel Kirkland told me what happened. Going Battle of Yorktown on that Limey Bastard won’t do any good. Would likely get me thrown in jail for beating up a British officer and I don’t need that. Nattie and the kids need me more than I need to avenge Vanya. Maybe if they didn’t need us to save their asses from a bunch of potato eating bastards (At least that’s what one Italian guy I sometimes get lunch from calls them) then Colonel Kirkland wouldn’t have to tell me this news and wouldn’t have that black eye. Yes I know he didn’t do it, but I just don’t know anymore. I always imagined Vanya being there like a brother and we did everything together. Just watching the kids grow up, him as the uncle that spoils him and me as the nice dad giving them a break from their strict mother when she wasn’t looking and now, it’s just a marker in the ground we’d talk to. A few pictures that now just feel different. I mean I am looking at one of them now, of him in his uniform before being shipped off, and I swear just yesterday it felt different. Heck it felt different this morning than it does now. Like that statement from Colonel Kirkland and Major Bonnefoy changed it all. 

I’m writing this while Nattie is just crying in my lap. She isn’t even saying much about me running her fingers in her hair. Often she tries to get me to stop after a little while. She’s got beautiful hair. Look at me, commenting on my wife’s hair when I just lost my best friend and she her brother. She, Katyusha and I have to go to this office near the port so we can make the final arrangements. Mattie is going to look after the kids. God, this is going to be hard to explain to Nikolai. He’s old enough now to remember Vanya somewhat. The twins never met him and are hardly a year old. It’d be much easier to explain to them when they are older. Sometimes I wish I had joined up with him or gotten there first and made him look after Nattie and the kids. Then he’d still be alive. I’m a lucky bastard, worst I’d get off with is like how Mattie ended up. Why is it those who are the sweetest come back from war messed up? Mattie has a hard time walking and has shell shock and Vanya’s dead now. Said he had been in the hospital for a month before he had a heart attack from some infection on September 15th. Well I wanted him home soon, I guess in a way I got it. Just not like this. I did not want this. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Shot? Long? Sad? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say here so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	77. Natalya's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I don’t have much to say but hold onto your heartstrings. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 1st 1918

(From the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

Big brother is gone. And Matthew and Fredka are right. No amount of beheading of that French officer would ever bring him back. All I can do now is cry. Cry like a little girl. Fredka is here telling me it will be alright and stroking my hair but I do not wonder if he is trying to comfort himself as well. He nearly beat up that British Colonel until Matthew pulled him off after giving that same officer a stare himself. Apparently he had a grudge against him from his time in the military. Those European officers then went back to the Oceanside where they are staying until they go back to that forsaken land. I thought that Vanya would come back okay. I thought no one would attack the medical corps. But these are those Germanic huns after all. Major Bonnefoy said that they were making headway and the krauts should sign a treaty any day now. They’ve been saying nonsense like that since 1914. So one will forgive me for not believing that man who smells like cheese, wine and failure. 

Tomorrow we must do some final arrangements, pick the plot and marker and prepare for Vanya’s funeral. December 30th 1886 to September 15th 1918. He would have been 32 this year. He is two years older than Fredka and he turned 30 back in July, I 27 back in August. God Katyusha will be 37 and she is still unmarried. I do think she and Matvey may be developing feelings, but that may just be me being hopeful for her. She does now have a house. Vanya has come home. It’s like the old stories of genies I guess. You must be careful what you wish for. Matthew will look after the children while we handle the funeral arrangements. Said it was only appropriate that Vanya’s more direct family be there. I know Fredka is doing the best he can as he was Vanya’s best friend. Those two were close as you could be. Practically brothers. He’s a good husband. I’m glad I married him. If I didn’t, I don’t know where I would be right now. I guess it was like Vanya said when we first met, he is a good loyal and protective man even if he can be a little childish at times. But that childishness isn’t visible now. What I wouldn’t give to have some of that carefree nature like Nikolai has again right now. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Shot? Long? Sad? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say here so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	78. Matthew's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I don’t have much to say but hold onto your heartstrings. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 1st 1918

(From the diary of Matthew Williams)

Writing a journal entry while looking after 3 children is tough. Especially when the two youngest keep thinking you are their father. They keep saying “da da” to me. They say it to Al too, but I swear they get us mixed up. Nikolai corrects them though saying “Uncle Dyadya Mattie” I think that is actually confusing them but Nikolai is learning both Russian and English from his parents. Hopefully he didn’t learn the myriad of swears that Natalya let out today at Major Bonnefoy. Luckily Katyusha talked her down because I was busy with Al at the same time. I was over at her house when Katy got the news and dragged those officers along. I hobbled along as fast as I could after her as I knew it was not going to be pretty. Once they calmed down, realized that murder and violence wasn’t going to make Ivan appear again, Al took Natalya to their bedroom and they’ve been up there crying in private since. 

I had to explain to Nikolai what happened. I know Al should have but honestly he’s rather distressed so he’ll do better when he calms down a bit. Nikolai asked “Is Uncle Dyadya Vanya coming home?” I had to tell him no, he got killed in the war. But I reassured Nikolai that Ivan is looking down on him from heaven and he is to be a good boy and protective big brother to make sure that his now guardian angel uncle will be proud of him in heaven. Seemed to help the kid out. I mean how do you explain something like death and war to a kid like that? It’s going to be a rough few days around here as they hold the funeral and such. If they need help digging the grave, I will. I know Al will probably work himself to exhaustion, Natalya will want to try so herself but I have got to remind her her kids need her at this time and Ivan wouldn’t like her falling from that duty. This is their shell shock moment and like they helped me with mine,I should with theirs. If there is something that I know Natalya and Al have in common it is their passion for those they love. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Shot? Long? Sad? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say here so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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	79. Alfred's journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I don’t know if I will get the usual entries because it’s late where I am and I have had a killer headache all day but I want to get something now that it’s dissipating. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 8th 1918

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones.)

Well we had Vanya’s funeral today. I haven’t been to very many other than my parent’s but it seems that the weather matches. It was cold drizzling rain. It was everyone, Nattie, the kids, me, Katyusha and Mattie. I swear some of the times he goes over for a “Panic attack” he doesn’t really have one. Like dude, if you like her just say so. The only relative of hers that may have an issue is Nattie and I don’t think she’d mind. He has been trying to look for work but not many places are hiring that he is looking at. The factories and stuff. I told him to try the newspaper,since he told me about his captain back in the Mounties saying he had the best reports handed in. The funeral had the usual funeral stuff, I was more focused on Nattie and the kids. Little Ivan and Anya are too young to understand much of what was going on but could pick up on how their mother felt. Nikolai did sort of get what was happening. Mattie told me what he told Nikolai when he asked and while I think he may have been a little over exaggerating when he said that Vanya became his guardian angel, it helped him cope so I can’t say much. Told Nikolai this was a place we could visit him now because of that. It’s going to be an adjustment to say the least. 

I was mainly focused on Nattie and helping her carry on. It’s true, she is a great mother and this shook her up and we all need to help remind her that Vanya wouldn’t want his niece and nephews to suffer because their mother was distraught over this. Putting it that way helps her cope. It was mostly me that handled digging the grave. Mattie helped how he could but sometimes the work would be too much and the injuries he suffered would act up. I didn’t think any less of him for suffering for that, actually pretty grateful he helped out. Katy helped out some too but they both took turns making sure Nattie was okay. If there is any comfort I can draw from this is that he’s here now. We can visit him. Yes he’s dead and can’t talk back but it’s a comforting presence in a sort of way. I mean it could have been worse and he just left to rot in no man’s land. We were able to lay him to rest so that hopefully his soul won’t wander the lands looking for peace like the stories. Uggggghhhhhhh. Hate those. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say with this one so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	80. Natalya's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I don’t know if I will get the usual entries because it’s late where I am and I have had a killer headache all day but I want to get something now that it’s dissipating. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 8th 1918

(From the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya.)

I don’t think I have ever cried more in my life. We had buried Vanya in his dress uniform and have the picture taken before he was buried. It is a nice look, but would have been better if I saw him return alive in it. Or even if he returned in it paralyzed. He would be alive and I would make sure that he never felt like any less of a man because of it. Fredka has been too good to me. He’s taken up to digging the grave mostly himself and to looking after the children. It was during the eulogy it hit me. I know Matvey had been saying it for a week now but for some reason it struck me like a bolt of lightning today. He loved Nikolai, little Ivan and Anya, even though he never met them in person, more than anything. Fredka was his best friend in the world he went to war to in his own weird idea to protect him. (I still do not understand his logic. If they wanted to draft Fredka I don’t think that him telling the draft board his brother-in-law went in his stead would work.....) And I should dedicate myself to raising them (yes even Fredka sometimes) and making sure my duties as wife and mother are upheld. I mean Fredka is doing his best to do that as a husband and father, so I must do so myself. 

The heavens wept almost as much as I did. Fredka told me that Vanya is now home to stay and we can visit him whenever we want. Made some sense although I have a feeling that he’d find a way to haunt our house than his. (I would think he would want to make sure that Matvey is only seeking proper medical care from Katyusha. Those too are getting too close for his intentions to be just seeking a nurse.) Which as long as he doesn’t disturb anything, I wouldn’t mind. Fredka, not so much. He gets scared like a child with ghost stories. I tried to tell him a few when we were first dating and he screamed like a little girl. Then again the ghost of his best friend might be a different story there. I don’t know. All I know is I have to look after my family like I am supposed to and like Vanya would have wanted me to. It would be in his honor after all. And I can talk to him here. He won’t be able to respond but he can’t interrupt me either. It’s weird having a relative back but gone. I will miss him so. But like he would want me to, I must look to the future and my family. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say with this one so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

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	81. Katyusha's Journal

I don’t own Hetalia okay? I don’t know if I will get the usual entries because it’s late where I am and I have had a killer headache all day but I want to get something now that it’s dissipating. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 8th 1918

(From the diary of Katyusha Braginsky.)

Funerals never seem right. Like you are saying goodbye but not. They are to give solace but you still have to go on day after day with this absence. And I know if there is nothing else that would displease Vanya it would be for us to stop living because he died. He cared too much about all of us, making sure we had the best we could to make the best of ourselves. It was his idea to come to America after our parents died. Well Papa died when I was 10 and Mother remarried when she was pregnant with Natalya, that is why her maiden name is different than ours and he could care less what happened to us when Mama died. He found Natalya Fredka and he took care of me despite my failings. Always let me try to make my own way but kept the door open for when it inevitably fell apart. 

Matvey has been invaluable this whole time he was off at war and even now. At first it was just because he didn’t want to scare the children with his attacks but he told me that more and more that was just an excuse to come see me. Why does he need an excuse? If he wants to just come over and talk with me, that is fine. No shell shock or panic attack or pain needed. Unless he’s still afraid of what Natalya would do to him for seeing me without a medical reason. I don’t think she would object to that. She does respect him. I don’t know, all I know is he’s the one whose kept us focused on what needs to be right now. We cannot wallow in what is gone. There is still life to live. I just hope that Fredka doesn’t stay out here too long without the umbrella. He gave it to Natalya and the children. He’s going to get sick that way. And the sick that is going around now is horrible for men his age. I don’t want him to get that sick and Natalya be here alone. I’m probably worrying too much but still. Fredka is very carefree with his health. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Now there is a little more I have planned after this so it’s not done yet, but it’s coming closer to the end of this story, so keep an eye out for more. I don’t have much else to say with this one so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	82. Alfred's journal

You’ve gotten it plenty of times on who owns Hetalia and it ain’t me. Like I said before I am aiming to get this story wrapped up soon, so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 17th 1918

(From the diary of Alfred F Jones)

It’s been hard going on these past few days. He’s here. I can talk to him whenever I want and I often stop by Vanya’s grave during lunch and on my way home from work and talk to him as if he was waiting there for me. In a way he is. I know my more logical side says it’s just his corpse rotting in the ground dressed up all fancy and corpses under six feet of dirt cannot talk back and cannot hear me. I am just doing something stupid and crazy but it helps me to do what he would have wanted me to do and that is to go on living life. I mean the war had even seeped into the World Series. I had loved reading about that and wanted to head to Boston to see it, but god knows I would be so skinned alive by Nattie for that. Shame the Yankees didn’t make this year. Guess this year is nothing but suck. Peace and rumors of peace.... seems to be all you hear about. That and it’s polar opposite war. 

As the year winds down, I always look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I mean last year I handled the whole thing and Nattie didn’t say a thing about my turkey. Although she said she’s going to take care of it and Mattie is going to make breakfast. His usual pancakes and syrup. He keeps complaining about the Vermont syrup I go out of the way to get him. Deal with it bro. I may sound like a jerk there but come on. I know soon after Nikolai was born I was talking with Ivan about when he’d be big enough to go see Santa and taking a trip to Manhattan for that. I would have done that last year but the the twins were only a month old by then and I want the whole family together and I wouldn’t go without Nattie and the twins. I’m going to try for that when the time comes this year. I almost had Vanya talked into playing Santa or Ded Moroz (for the Russian style that Nattie loves bringing and I think is pretty) before the world decided to shed all of men’s blood for nothing. I could always try to talk Mattie into it, I do still have some guilt trip power with him but his hair is too dark blonde as to Vanya’s platinum blonde (fun fact the twins have the same kind of hair with my light blue eyes) hair and his stalkier build he could have done it better. I can never forget because the little things like that keep popping up. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to add with this so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	83. Natalya's Journal

You’ve gotten it plenty of times on who owns Hetalia and it ain’t me. Like I said before I am aiming to get this story wrapped up soon, so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 17th 1918

(From the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya))

I’ve been trying to keep myself busy with the children as to keep my mind off the fact big brother is no longer with us. I know how much Vanya loved them and was as almost as childishly giddy with joy when I was expecting as Fredka was. It was just more ridiculous out of him with how he looked. He did not seem like the type of man who would be that soft with children, but I have the pictures we had taken with him and Nikolai often at the beach or boardwalk. They were his favorite places to take him. I like going there, seeing the ocean and sometimes driving the bumper cars. I have been trying to talk Fredka into getting us an actual car. I’ll even drive if he doesn’t want to but taking 3 children places just walking or on the trolley is quite tiring. Our neighbors got one and said it’s actually really affordable. 

Maybe this is what Vanya kept pushing us to have when we came over. From what I had heard about Russia, I could not write such a thing without being greedy, I would be trying to just keep us fed and I am married to a man who treats me like “a queen mother to his little princes and princess” don’t know what his fixation with fairy tale royalty is but hey. Honestly he reads those silly stories to the twins but Nikolai keeps asking for things like Paul Buynon or that Goldfish story from back in Russia. Well he asks me for that when I put him down for a nap in the afternoons. I just wish he could see it himself. I have had Matthew or Fredka watch the children and I have told him this, much like Fredka does. I hope he hears me. His absence in the family is missed and as much as Matvey tries, he can never match what Vanya left. 

Speaking of Matvey he’s been asking me a lot of questions about Katyusha. What her favorite color is, her favorite candy, just odd little things like that. Would she like a fancy dinner or sea shore visit? It is becoming painfully clear now. It is almost embarrassing. He is trying to court Katyusha. Thankfully he did just get a job at the local newspaper as an editor. Turns out he had shown some of his old reports he had copies of in his time as a Mountie and his battlefield reports and he got hired on because of that. He says it is not the same as before but it’s something that brings in a good paycheck. He’s been saving quite a bit too. I think I know where this is going.....

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to add with this so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	84. Katyusha's Journal

You’ve gotten it plenty of times on who owns Hetalia and it ain’t me. Like I said before I am aiming to get this story wrapped up soon, so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

October 17th 1918

(From the diary of Katyusha Braginsky)

I feel almost as I have to keep Fredka and Natalya focused on what Vanya would want them to. Natalya tells me all the time how much she misses him and misses how he was with the children and I know how often both of them go to his grave and talk. At least in order to set a good example for her children she doesn’t head out underdressed for the changing weather and she does know they will need to go play or stay in the warmth. She has focused on them a lot since she got the news. Matvey told her (and Fredka too for that matter) that revenge would never satisfy their hurt and it wouldn’t bring Vanya back but they needed to focus on their kids as they were some of Vanya’s favorite things in the world and to honor him they should raise them to be the good smart people I know they are. Little Nikolai is such a good brother to his siblings. I swear Anya is the spitting image of her mother with her father’s eyes and hair color. 

Matvey has been coming by more and more often lately, especially when he had finally gotten a job of his own and he wouldn’t have to worry about living off the meager disabled veteran’s pension he was promised. He hasn’t gotten it yet, legal hold ups, governments never want to pay for a disabled soldier. He comes by when he isn’t having a panic attack or feeling bad. It’s just so nice to have him over when he doesn’t need medical care. Don’t get me wrong, I want to take care of him. I like to but he’s a good friend. I mean as much as Matvey getting a decent job does not make up for losing Vanya, it is something. A sign of light in the darkness, a ray of hope that things will get better. Almost as if that he may physically be gone from our lives, other than the grave that Natalya and Fredka seem to be almost habitually obsessed to talking to, his presence is felt in other ways in our lives. I know he did not know Matvey as well as I do, they never had time to properly get acquainted outside of Fredka and Natalya’s wedding and birth of Nikolai but he would have liked him. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to add with this so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	85. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am working hard to wrap this up here by the 11th, Armistice day so you’ll see a lot of more updates. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 11th 1918

(From the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

We’ve been trying to carry on since the funeral. Many days I have to wake up and just tell myself that the last thing Vanya would want was us to stop living our lives just because of his death. That’s why I made sure we have a good birthday for the twins today. That and it has been pretty busy at work what with half the people getting sick and once they get better another bunch get sick. Some have died too. I’m not worried..... Sure, the twins won’t be able to remember the party much yet and honestly it’s more something Nikolai has fun with because he is older. It was a small thing, just Nattie, Mattie, Katy and I and the kids of course. With all that has happened this year, we needed this more than I think Ivan and Anya are aware of. Nattie is always very happy at the children’s birthdays, especially the first birthday. I remember how happy she was when Nicky turned one. Mattie made pancakes and maple syrup for breakfast and I made hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner much at Nikolai’s request. He said that that is what Ivan and Anya told him they wanted, but they aren’t fully speaking yet. But I am not going to argue too much. I will say that Katy makes a very good cake. Nattie did complain that it was mainly Nicky and I ate the more of it than Ivan and Anya did. 

Mattie is doing okay getting used to his new job. He seems happier now than before. Now it’s not like he was when he was a Mountie, but he also doesn’t feel so hopeless anymore. He feels like a productive member of society and is toying with the idea of writing his war memoirs out as well, what with the war wrapping up and all. I keep telling him that if does like her like that to just make the move already and ask her out. He doesn’t have to marry her right away or anything. He keeps telling me she’s just a friend, yeah right. I mean it’s nice to see things like this happening but I miss seeing Vanya at events like this.His smile was greatest when he saw Nikolai laughing and saw him happy. When they told us he had passed, they gave Katy his footlocker and all his stuff they had including his personal journal. Part of me wants to open it and read it, but I cannot bring myself to. Katy let me having it, being his best friend and all, but I just don’t know. It’s almost like an invasion of his privacy but I do want to know what he really did see in the war. I’ll worry about that later, I do want to enjoy the day for what it is right now. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. The year on this is 1918 and there was the Spanish flu outbreak so it will be mentioned. Mind you I am focusing on that era, so any similarities to this current mess, is purely coincidental. (And another reason I urge you to read more on this era, it’s quite interesting) So remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	86. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am working hard to wrap this up here by the 11th, Armistice day so you’ll see a lot of more updates. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 11th 1918

(From the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

Today was really precious.It was Ivan and Anya’s first birthday. I am so glad they made it, what with the flu that is going around. I have talked with some of our neighbors and they did lose one of the children to it. The child was about 12 years old, so much older and had a higher immunity than the twins would have. I know soon after Nikolai was born we spent time over at Vanya’s, well it’s now Katyusha’s, house until it was safe but no where is safe, it is everywhere. However I cannot live in fear. It would be the same as living in sorrow and I know that is not what Vanya wanted for us. Katyusha had given us his things that she was given and we have it kept in the drawing room in a sort of corner out of the way but still visible. Fredka was given his journal specifically and he has it by his bedside but he hasn’t read it yet. Too nervous and I can’t say I blame him. I thought of trying to read it myself, which depending on how Vanya wrote it, English or Cyrillic, I will have to for him anyway. I don’t know if I could myself. 

I have been trying to focus on the things that are good. Things that bring happiness. Things like the birthday today. Those two had grown so much and I am so proud of the brother that little Nikolai is being to them. I know the twins did not ask for hamburgers and hot dogs for their birthday dinner, they can hardly talk. Although I think they are slowly picking up on the Russian for uncle and calling Fredka “Dada” while they sound a lot alike, I have noticed slight pronunciation when they see Matvey or Fredka. I may be presuming too much, they are only a year old. They defiantly have Fredka’s eyes though. So bright blue and hopeful. To be that innocent.....

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. The year on this is 1918 and there was the Spanish flu outbreak so it will be mentioned. Mind you I am focusing on that era, so any similarities to this current mess, is purely coincidental. (And another reason I urge you to read more on this era, it’s quite interesting) So remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	87. Katyusha's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am working hard to wrap this up here by the 11th, Armistice day so you’ll see a lot of more updates. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 11th 1918

(From the diary of Katyusha Braginsky)

It has been nice to get out of the house and see my niece and nephews. Over the past few weeks I had been going through just the harsh process of sorting out Vanya’s things and putting them away. I mean I could save some of his suits and other clothes and shoes in the attic for when Nikolai and little Ivan grow older. I swear that Nikolai will grow up to be as big as Vanya was. He’s only 3 and as tall as most 5 year olds. A very good big brother to the twins too. 

I had given Fredka and Natalya his footlocker with his journal. I could not keep that in the house. I mean it is technically mine now as was stated in his will but that just makes it so hard. It’s like those things are now my things and all but I know they were his and it feels wrong using them like I had before he died. Like I am a vulture even though there is nothing to suggest otherwise. I haven’t been in Vanya’s old bedroom since last summer I think. It was actually Matvey who handled putting away his clothes and suggested saving them for our nephews. Now some of them may not be in style by the time they are big enough to wear them but they would appreciate where it came from hopefully. Then again knowing how Natalya is as a mother she’d show her teenage boys they need to respect the notion of legacy. But no Matvey has stayed in Vanya’s old room when he does overnight and handled cleaning it because I just couldn’t after I learned of his passing. 

He did come across a few items that I did not know he had still. They were a few plush animals that looked like some weird bear, mouse mix that I had remembered from when we were children. Mama had made them for him when Vanya was younger and the fact they are still in tact and he kept them with him made me smile. I saw there were 3 of Mama’s attempts to make a stuffed animal and knew right then that I should give them to Nikolai, little Ivan and Anya. Little Ivan and Anya seemed to like them but when I told Nikolai about where it came from and how even such a big brave man like his uncle was still kept them he held onto the old animal tightly. Natalya made him thank me and I knew that was going to be his favorite thing. I told him it’s almost as if it is a piece of Vanya to keep with him and he smiled sweetly. I think with things like that Vanya will never be completely gone from us. I just hope so. I do know he would have wanted to do something like that himself anyway. It was just his nature. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. The year on this is 1918 and there was the Spanish flu outbreak so it will be mentioned. Mind you I am focusing on that era, so any similarities to this current mess, is purely coincidental. (And another reason I urge you to read more on this era, it’s quite interesting) The stuffed animals I have in this are handmade original designs but drew references from cheburashka and how that looks. I mean Ivan has a plush one in the anime so I got the idea from that. So remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	88. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I don’t have much more to say here so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 15th 1918

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

I’m worried about Fredka. He seemed fine a few days ago but he woke up today complaining of feeling hot and aching all over. I had made some strong coffee this morning for him, thinking that might help and he acted like I did but I know him better and he will hide how sick he really is. I know one time when he had a mild stomach bug that he should have stayed home from but at lunch Vanya brought him back home after he threw up in a trash can at work. But today around 3 o clock this afternoon, his boss brought him home and Matvey took him up to bed. Mr. Seward said he had grown faint and he could tell that there was something wrong with him. Normally he is full of life and energy and he could hardly focus today so that was Mr. Seward’s tell that something was wrong. He explained to me that a few of his employees had come down with that Spanish flu and there was a chance Fredka had it too. He wished me well and told me if that he needed me to help, he would be there. 

With that news, I sent Matvey to Katyusha’s to get her to come over. She is still working with the Red Cross as a nurse and they trained her to recognize the symptoms last spring when this first broke out. She came over and took a look at him and said he doesn’t have some of those deadly symptoms but that does not mean he did not have the Spanish flu. It was one that he just needed to be looked after. Although I could read her well when she said that. She wasn’t telling me the full truth. I read the papers and while I don’t take it for the gospel, I worry as Fredka hardly ever gets sick. If he gets sick it must be bad. Many young people died from this. I had already lost my brother, I don’t need to lose my husband too. Nikolai looks worried. He’s a smart little man and he can tell that his father is pretty ill at least. Matvey said he’d help look after Fredka and the children and get Katyusha if needed but he thinks that it’s just a bad flu and not one that will cause an issue. God I hope he’s right

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say in this A/N, so remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	89. Matthew's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I don’t have much more to say here so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 15th 1918

(from the diary of Matthew Williams)

Al was brought home looking like death warmed 3 times over. And I had seen it before. Back in Europe. I got concerned how he casually mentioned that people at work caught that flu that is going around but now he’s looking like a lot of the men I had seen in the hospital because of illness, not injury. Heck I may have had it myself for a little bit before coming back because I do remember a few days being fluish. Like they would have told me anyway. I had brought Katy over as they had trained her for this if the flu does get out of hand and she did say indeed it was Spanish flu. I asked for the truth of her away from Natalya as that woman is wild when she is worried. According to her, while not as bad as what is often reported in the papers, he still has it and from what her bosses say, this ‘second wave’ as they called it is more virulent than the first one. All we could really do is just make sure that Al got plenty of rest and fluids and to help try and keep his fever low. I went and got a bottle of aspirin as that is a good fever reducer and gave that to Natalya to give to him.

What worries me is did I bring it home? I was sent to a hospital to interview a doctor about what was going on as because the guy he normally asked to do such stories was, you guessed it, sick with the flu. I mean when I had that flu before my discharge I thought it was the normal one, and I guess it was or that feeling of being sicker than I was when I normally was not because of the injury playing on it but because it was this horrible one and I had an immunity? I’m not a doctor and Katy is only a nurse. But I have a good feeling that Al will pull through he is strong after all. But that doctor I talked to said that is the group that died more often than others..... God I would hate to see Natalya if the worst does happen. But as long as we treat this as it is, then Al will get over this. He has to. 

Although there goes my plans to ask Katy to dinner this weekend. Seems like it would be rather inappropriate right now for us to leave Natalya burdened with a sick husband and 3 kids. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say in this A/N, so remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	90. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I don’t have much more to say here so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 17th 1918

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

I cannot do this! I just cannot! I thank God above that Katyusha had come over to help, but I am so scared. Only a few weeks ago we had gotten the news of big brother’s death in the war. Fredka was so healthy I did not think this flu would get him. I thought Matvey was more likely to catch it with his injuries and how the gas attack affected his respiratory system. I heard stories from the other women in our neighborhood about them losing brothers, sisters, parents, children. I lost my brother in that stupid war started by a bunch of Europeans who hate each other forever! To think I will lose my husband to a flu too! No. I have kept Nikolai busy by having him look after his baby siblings. Ivan and Anya are still young. But Nikolai keeps wanting to play with his father, and doesn’t quite understand why he cannot see him. I honestly say that I could not have done this without big sister. She’s been quite the rock for us since all this happened. 

I took some soup up to him while Katyusha looked after the children and he looked so pale, it was scary. I made sure he ate it. I checked his forehead for fever and he felt extremely hot. I gave him one of the aspirin that Matvey had gotten a few days ago and just put a damp rag on his head, hoping the fever will go down. He will overcome this. I know he had been mumbling something about seeing big brother again, but that is not possible. Unless even in death he is haunting this house. Or it is fever delusions. I do not know. I do think he at least knew I was there. I shamefully admit that I broke down and cried on his sleeping form. I then felt his hand running through my hair and a faint, ‘stop crying Nattie….I’ll get better soon…as long as you and Katy keep taking care of everything….’ And then was a few delusional sounding mentions of big brother. I looked up at him again and he smiled at me. ‘Make sure the little kiddos are good. Nikolai is little Ivan and Anya’s hero after all…. And the little hero needs someone to help him….’

He had come home sick a few days ago and he’s not looking much better. Possibly a little worse. I’m scared for him. He’s been better than I could have ever asked for. I know on my own I probably would not be so lucky to have found a man so caring and family oriented like Fredka is. Honestly I would probably still be unmarried to this day if I hadn’t met a man so willing to put up with my moods. He’s given me 3 beautiful children. I just pray he stays here for a long time. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say in this A/N, so remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	91. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I don’t have much more to say here so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

November 17th 1918

(from the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

Nattie finally left to look after the kids. It broke my heart to see her crying. It’s just the flu, I don’t care how scary the newspapers make it out to be, they have to hype this kind of thing to sell anyway. What with the war now over, they need something to keep people reading. It’s funny, on the twin’s first birthday is when Germany finally surrendered. But at the same time, Vanya almost made it. If his luck held out two more months. I’m still chilly even though there’s like 5 blankets on me and that quilt that Nattie made after I got her her sewing machine as a wedding gift. I mean come on, Mr. Seward was pretty damn generous. She’s so pragmatic. Usually. She’s too worried about me. I’ll get over this. I know she’s still shook up from Vanya’s death. 

I mean I’d get better if I could just get something more to eat than soup, but at the same time, I can’t eat much. But it’s just exhausting. I’ve been catching up on my reading a lot. But still not Vanya’s journal. I mean, I don’t even know if he wrote it in Russian or English. I can’t read Russian. I can sort of speak and understand it but read those backwards R Cyrillic letters? Nope. I should get Nattie to teach me and the kids to read it as well. I mean I know Vanya could write English fine, he did it at work but would he have bothered to do that on something that was his personal journal? I swear though, I saw him sitting in the corner the other day when it was just me in the room. I mean it couldn’t have been could it? His ghost? Was I just delirious? I could have sworn he had gotten up and hugged me saying “Get well soon Fredka. Natalya, Nikolai, Ivan and Anya need you. I love you so much and miss you. I don’t want to have you join me until you are an old and grey dedushka. I am always watching over my family. ” Like I felt the pressure he did when he hugged me and it was as if he was there. But my fever was 104 the other day according to Katyusha before she had given me an aspirin to lower the fever. And that was the first time I had seen the ghost, so I don’t know. Could it have just been what I wanted to hear from him manifesting it self in fever delusions or is my house really haunted by him. I normally am afraid of ghost stories but that.....doesn’t seem too bad..... as long as he tries to be ghost uncle to the kids when Nattie and I are in our maritials. That’d be creepy. Your ghost brother in law watching that.

I’m going to try and read some more again. Nattie brought a copy of some Fyodor Dostoevsky novels claiming that they would keep me in bed. I’ll keep her happy with that. Although I just want to go to work if not that then play with the kids, but I get why I shouldn’t, especially if it is that Spanish flu and not a normal flu. If anyone dies of it, I’d rather it be me than to have Natalya lose a child. But she’s not going to lose anyone to this. I am going to get better. And that starts with me stopping this and relaxing. Think on your feelings and fears of Vanya’s ghost haunting you later. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say in this A/N, so remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm.


	92. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am planning to wrap this up soon, so keep an eye out. I don’t have much else to say, so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 1st 1918

(from the diary of Alfred F Jones)

Well malady may go from one Jones, but another find the others. I had recovered in time for Thanksgiving, and I still am a little drained but Katy says I am no longer contagious but just the day after Thanksgiving, Anya got the chicken pox. I had never seen anyone more relieved over an illness than Nattie was when Katy told her what it was. I am guessing that she thought Anya got the flu I had, despite everyone’s best efforts. I swear I didn’t see the kids for at least a week there. I’d seen Vanya’s ghost more and I’m not certain that is what I saw. And as chicken pox goes, you itch for a few days, feel bad but it isn’t the same league as what I just went though. Then it spread to both Ivan and Nikolai on the next day. Best to get it while they are young. Mattie and I had it when we were like 5 I think.

We had a mixed Thanksgiving. Many were thankful for the war ending just weeks ago, but for us it was kind of soured. When the family member sent overseas is killed only months before the peace is declared, it’s a dark irony. I still feel Vanya’s presence in the little ways. I mean I opened his journal the other day and found, yes he did indeed write it in Cyrillic so I will have to have Nattie read it to me but I’ll put that on her at another day. She’s still worn down from the scare when I had the flu and with the kids and their Chicken Pox. The twins keep scratching each other and I think their first word is “Itchy”. Lovely. Nikolai was so bad that Nattie tied mittens on his hands in an effort to get him to stop. Well he found a way out of them. All we can do is just make sure they keep clean and sooth the itching. I made Nattie take a break not too long ago while Mattie and I put the kids down for a nap. Nikolai was a handful and he hates being cooped up inside because of this and wants to try and play and I knew how he felt well. Told him that it was what was needed to get better and that was how I got better myself. That gave him the hint. The twins, I think the first Russian word they’ll pick up is Dyadya as they said that to Mattie, or at least what sounds like it because it sounds a lot like ‘da da’ but when they saw me, the pronunciation seemed different and it was consistent the differences. Nattie will be happy on that one. She should be proud of Nikolai as he’s been teaching them what he knows. It’s not much, basic things but he’s learning both well. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Yes, Alfred recovered. I couldn’t break your hearts that bad. Besides as this story wraps up, I want you guys to have some happiness for our favorite characters here, despite their losses. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	93. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am planning to wrap this up soon, so keep an eye out. I don’t have much else to say, so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 1st 1918

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

When it rains it pours as they say and the children have chicken pox after their father recovered from the Spanish flu. I’m actually happy it is just that, they will be uncomfortable for a few days and it will be hectic until the sores stop itching so much, but Fredka and Matvey are helping out, even Katy when she has a chance but because the flu is spreading so bad the Red Cross summoned her to help out with the hospitals. Luckily it was the day after Thanksgiving she was called to do so and today was the first day she had to work. I would not allow her in the house that soon after. I have also told Matvey that if he went to her house when she took on work at the flu hospitals that he was going to have to stay there until it passed or I felt that he couldn’t pick it up from her and give it to the children. I have a theory that he was the one that accidently gave it to Fredka. It wasn’t that long after he had that interview with that doctor who worked with flu patients for the newspaper. I know Matvey wouldn’t spread any news to scare people, but I know how some of those rags will stir trouble. 

Fredka insisted I take a break and he take care of the children. Mr. Seward had so many people come down with the flu that he told everyone to just take the rest of the year off. So many places have done things like that. But he is a generous boss and gave Fredka his usual pay for the rest of the year so we don’t have much to worry about, and I am actually quite thankful for that. I don’t think I could handle 3 children with chicken pox by myself. Fredka did tell me that he thought he saw Vanya’s ghost while he had the flu and it told him to get well. I don’t know if it really did happen, and he said himself that it may have been a fever delusion but I could see him doing something like that. And he finally opened his journal instead of leaving it on his bedside but he wrote it in Russian so Fredka asked me to read it to him when I feel up to it. I’m honestly too emotionally drained to do such a thing. Between losing Vanya, nearly losing Fredka and this, I need some time. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Some things sound familiar about the flu outbreak there? Yeah I did some reading on the 1918 pandemic to today’s world and I realize more and more there’s so much that is the same stuff but different setting. History can be so fascinating like that. Besides as this story wraps up, I want you guys to have some happiness for our favorite characters here, despite their losses. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	94. Matthew's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am planning to wrap this up soon, so keep an eye out. I don’t have much else to say, so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 1st 1918

(from the diary of Matthew Williams)

Al pulled through. Living on soup for a week shrunk his stomach though. Previous Thanksgivings he ate half the potatoes and a whole turkey leg. Nattie often makes two turkeys because of that but there was a lot more left over than usual. Only thing is that the children got Chicken pox right after Thanksgiving. The timing made Al call it ‘turkey pox’ to me when Katy told what they had as it was right after Thanksgiving. Quite the dad joke. And he’s always made bad jokes like that. I guess he’s always had the potential to be a good dad with that. He insisted that he help take care of the kids while they get better. Natalya has been through so much lately. He keeps telling us about when he thought he saw Vanya’s ghost but I don’t know. I guess it provides them some comfort. I do not like that Nattie won’t let me see Katy while she works at the flu hospital. But then again I think she figured out why I keep going to visit her. She must have heard us talking while we looked after Al......

But I cannot say I don’t understand why she’s scared. I mean I had never seen her like that until Al got ill. I mean she wouldn’t let me see her cry or know that she was worried about him. She’s been through too much this year. She cared for Vanya so much then finding out how he died. Katy did mention the one page she did read of his journal before she gave them it, and it was the last entry. Apparently he thought the symptoms of the heart attack was normal pains and he could finish it later. And Natalya will have to read it to Al as it was in Cyrillic. God that’s going to be painful. Well, time to put more salve on the kids’ chicken pox. Natalya is taking a good long nap and we don’t want to wake her for something we can handle ourselves. 

Hopefully we will be able to have Katy over for Christmas, I have something I have been meaning to ask her, once I clear it with Natalya, her last blood relative. I know Al wouldn’t have too much to say other than make fun of me for not saying it sooner. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Some things sound familiar about the flu outbreak there? Yeah I did some reading on the 1918 pandemic to today’s world and I realize more and more there’s so much that is the same stuff but different setting. History can be so fascinating like that. Besides as this story wraps up, I want you guys to have some happiness for our favorite characters here, despite their losses. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now, 

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	95. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am coming closer to the end here so I hope you enjoy. Enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 25th 1918

(from the diary of Alfred F. Jones)

Today was a pleasant but still kind of bittersweet Christmas. I mean I guess my theory was somewhat correct. Vanya is back here in America, just not alive. I still swear I see his ghost smiling at me from time to time. I was setting out the Santa gifts to give the illusion that he indeed came down the chimney and delivered the gifts. I hadn’t done it much before, I mean the kids weren’t exactly old enough to notice so I just wrapped it. But Nikolai is 3 and a half and asks a lot of questions. He deserves a magic Christmas after he had been through what he had. He is smarter than people like to give credit for. But while I was setting out the wagon I got him with the twin’s big present (a Raggedy Ann for Anya and a Raggedy Andy for little Ivan) I swear I saw Vanya standing by the tree smiling at me. I told Nattie about it when I had come up to bed for that evening but I don’t think she believed me but she smiled anyway. It’s nice to not be made fun of it at least.

But everyone seemed to love their gifts and that is all that mattered. Nikolai tried to take Ivan and Anya for a ride in the wagon but Nattie wouldn’t allow that. Nattie thought the hair brush and new dresses were nice. But honestly the biggest thing this Christmas was one I knew coming.You see Mattie asked Nattie and I but mostly Nattie what she thought if he were to marry Katy. Which I said to him to talk to Nattie who just said “Well it’s about time. I knew you two were up to something.” but then got rather frightening and held a knife to his neck. She asked if Katy was pregnant but this was not the case. Apparently they were both nervous on how we would take the idea and while he never directly told Vanya in his letters, as he had planned to tell him in person, he did hypothetically ask him and he said he didn’t see him as a bad person for her. At this Nattie said “Well you wouldn’t break her heart like so many others.” I then added that if I found out he broke her heart, I’d beat the crap out of him. I doubt that Mattie ever could do such a thing though and of course Katy said yes. She was surprised that we had picked up on what was going on between them. Not all of his visits to her house were due to “flashbacks.”

The wedding is planned for the springtime provided Katy isn’t too busy with her work at the hospital. God I hope this thing passes soon. Give Nattie one less thing to fret over. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say here so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm


	96. Natalya's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am coming closer to the end here so I hope you enjoy. Enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 25th 1918

(from the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

Today was a very happy yet bittersweet day. It being Christmas day, Fredka went to great pains to make sure the children had a very happy Christmas. It’s part of the childlike wonder and he always looks forward to this time of year and for months said that Vanya would be back for this. Well technically yes, but not in a way that can really be felt. Ever since he fought the Spanish flu, he claims to see Vanya’s ghost off and on. Why haven’t I yet if he is haunting this house? Then again it may just be his mind coping with the loss and I don’t want him getting mad at me. I just find it funny because before what he reported with his fever delusions he was petrified of ghosts. 

The children loved their gifts. Fredka was going to get Nikolai a bat and baseball but he’s still too little. He insists on one for his birthday though. Oh dear. Well if Nikolai breaks windows, Fredka will have to repair them. Matvey made a wooden soldier set for Nikolai as well and some smaller toys for Ivan and Anya. They also got a set of those popular Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls and played with them for a little bit but since Katy gave them Vanya’s childhood plush animals, if I can call those things that as they look like an animal not yet known to science, they kept to them like crazy. It’s a shame that that is the contact with their uncle they will ever know. I’ve been making sure they are taken care of and fixed any holes as they are rather old and I am just surprised they survived this long. Matvey said he had found them on Vanya’s pillows when he was cleaning the room. Imagine that he had slept with them right before he left. The idea of such an imposing 31 year old man still cuddling up to a childhood relic. I can’t be too critical. The way Fredka holds onto me sometimes makes me wonder how a teddy bear or the like would hold up. But I am his wife, and he is supposed to hold onto me. Who knows, as much as I loved him, there are things about Vanya I never understood. 

And Matvey finally made his relationship with Katyusha public. Fredka and I knew before he told us he was going to, and I was worried when he told us his plans he had soiled her virtue so to say. Not like they didn’t have the chance to do something like that and she has been talked into the notion before. I’m glad she has someone who cares about her and will provide. Finally. Was beginning to wonder on both of them if they’d just be lonely forever.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say here so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm


	97. Katyusha's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am coming closer to the end here so I hope you enjoy. Enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 25th 1918

(from the diary of Katyusha Braginsky)

I was never expecting this out of Matvey. Not to say I am not completely happy for it, but just him proposing like that. Of course I accepted. It turns out that Fredka and Natalya had suspicions on why he kept coming over and had offered their approval before he asked me to marry him. Also it seems that Natalya nearly slit his neck thinking that somehow he had gotten me pregnant and that is why he was asking to marry me. Nope, we even stayed in separate rooms all the times he did stay overnight. He’s been nothing but a gentleman to me. But that is how Natalya is, she will assume the worst of everyone who is nice to me. To be fair though, my luck until now hasn’t been that great.

I was just so happy to see the children enjoy their gifts. The twins looked so cute with their hats and mittens I knit them and Nikolai loved Matvey’s gift. I did help with the painting as he wasn’t good with the finer details. He got them carved well so it was easy to work with. But what really got me was seeing the children love Vanya’s old plush toys. He is never completely gone as long as we remember him. I swear he would have approved of Matvey. I mean if he thought Fredka was a good enough man for Natalya, then he could not say a world against him. I may be biased as Natalya seemed to hold suspicions on him, but my past luck with men is not the best itself. We’re talking about holding the ceremony in the springtime. 

Sadly though, as happy as I feel, it’s slightly tainted because of the sheer fact that Vanya could not see it. It’s frustrating too because the war ended about 2 months after he passed. If only that attack hadn’t happened, he would be here with us today. But I do know he did not want us to dwell on the past but to look to the future and make our lives better. And I can see that things can only improve from here. Another good thing, apparently Matvey really liked my fruit cake. I had run out of sugar and used his maple syrup instead thinking it would work and I guess it did. I have yet to tell him that it was his. He’ll find out soon enough. He said he’d move in with me but assured Natalya that he’d sleep in a separate bed until the wedding. Like Vanya, quite traditional. Just a little more aggressive than he was on the matter with her. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say here so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

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Realm


	98. Matthew's Journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am coming closer to the end here so I hope you enjoy. Enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

December 25th 1918

(from the diary of Matthew Williams)

Well it’s been a very merry Christmas for me. After being threatened with having my neck slit by Natalya after I did the traditional thing of asking the family for permission to marry, Katy said yes and we will be married by the spring. I thought for a second I could just ask Al as he is her brother in law after all, and the last male relative but he insisted I ask her blood family. The one she knew since they were little. While Natalya does not hold ill will toward me, she is very protective of her sister and I know what Katy had gone through with men before me. We did have a lot of long talks and most of our dates and courtship was really just me going over to have tea. Honestly the only thing Al said about it was “Finally! I knew you were going over there for reasons other than your flashbacks or war injury acting up.” Like some of it was legit that but they just took that when I headed over. I was afraid of what Natalya would do. She thought I had desecrated her virtue or something like that in her brother’s house. She’s very ummmmm the word Al used was traditional. He did tell me that she wouldn’t stay over at his house overnight until she married him. 

Al said he saw Vanya’s ghost again the other day when he was setting out the kid’s Christmas gifts but where he saw the ghost, there is the picture taken before he left so I don’t know, he may have been tired. Either way I find it amusing he isn’t afraid of the ghost of his brother in law when those stories had him hiding under the bed as a kid. 

But I am glad the children liked the gifts I made for them. I hope someday I can have at least one of mine and Katy’s own. Yes I know she’s getting older but there’s still some time for her. She was nervous about that at first, given the fact of our age difference but I really don’t care. I just want her to be happy and taken care of. Sure it may not be like when I was younger or before the war and such but dammit, for what she did for me, I would do for her. I do have a decent job now too, so it’s not like she’s marrying a pauper. I had been saving a lot of my wages to set up housekeeping and I know she’s gotten some fair pay from her work with the sick. I mean it’s the least they can do for her is to pay her for putting herself in that kind of danger. If a flu can make Al that sick when I’ve seen some of the suff he’s eaten on dares then she’s bound to be in real danger being around it. But she says her passion is helping the sick and injured so I’ll let her do that. But if and when we have our own family, she won’t need to work. After all she’s been through, she deserves that. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say here so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm


	99. Alfred's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am looking to wrap this up soon. These last few chapters will be what does that and if you want me to do something like this focusing on Matthew and Katyusha as a kind of spin-off sequel let me know. But anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

September 15th 1919

(From the diary of Alfred F Jones)

It was a sunny day today. But we decided to go to Vanya’s grave as a kind of visit in the year after his death. I had a lot I wanted to say, knowing that I would probably forget I wrote it down and I’m putting it here to just keep that record. So here it is:

“Well, it’s been a year since you died Vanya, and well a lot of things have changed since you passed. It feels rather weird saying it like this but here goes. You may know some of this, I don’t know how it works on the other side. The war ended November 11th at 11 am France’s time back in 1918. Soon after that I came down with that flu that was going around and I swear your ghost is prowling around my house. Well back in the spring on April 15th Katy and Mattie got married after dating in secret for at least a year. Their honeymoon was up to Canada, guess he can never really let it go. But Katy was happy with it, so that’s all that matters. And just before I wrote this, we found out that Katy is pregnant. Like that took long...although to be fair, Nattie and I conceived not much longer after we got married but she was trying really hard. I don’t think Mattie and Katy were. At least he didn’t look as exhausted as I felt. And they picked the names they want already If it’s a boy Chadwick Wayne Williams and a girl Louise Alberta Williams. The girl’s names are inspired from Canadian Providence. Yeah I know Vanya, but if Katy agrees with it then that’s all that matters. And I am going to teach Nikolai, Anya and little Ivan to look after their cousin with those names. That’s just asking for trouble when going to school. Nikolai is learning to read both English and Cyrillic. Nattie has been teaching us. She started by reading me some of your journal but couldn’t. So I asked her to teach me to read it so she figured that would be helpful.

The twins are full of energy and if we didn’t have Nikolai teaching them and playing with them, They’re speaking a lot. Anya tells fantastic stories and enthralled with fairy tales and little Ivan is being Nikolai’s little shadow as he thinks his older brother is awesome. They were given your old plush toys from your childhood that I swear looks like NO animal known to science and love them. Those are the few toys they are careful with. You’re never really gone with things like that still around. 

I did learn enough to realize just how deep you loved me too. And I don’t think any different of you. No matter what, you were like a brother to me and hooked me up with the best wife and mother ever. Yes I know many think that is not something that would ever be of her but she is. That is what I will remember of you. I love you, maybe not the same that you did me, but you are the best friend and brother in law anyone could ask for. I promise to not do anything stupid to get myself killed and try to stay healthy so you don’t see me in the same realm until like you told me when I had the flu, until I am an old and grey dedushka. Honestly the only thing that got us through your death was knowing how much you loved us and how much that you’d be disappointed if we did not carry on. I will never forget you and I know you are with us. If only I could get someone to believe me that your ghost appeared to me, but they aren’t making fun of me at least. Anyway, feel free to hop in as long as you aren’t noisy and scaring the kids and I’ll see you when I see you. You’ve done more for me than I could ever hope to repay.”

I know it seems stupid I wrote out a whole letter I read off to a grave but I swear he’s there somehow. If nothing else it makes me feel better and Nattie liked it. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don’t have much else to say here, so remember to read (well you just did) and review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


	100. Ivan's journal

I do not own Hetalia okay? I am looking to wrap this up soon. These last few chapters will be what does that and if you want me to do something like this focusing on Matthew and Katyusha as a kind of spin-off sequel let me know. But anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

September 15th 1919

(From the spirit of Ivan Braginsky)

Well this is a weird thing by mortal’s standards but after seeing Fredka tell my grave what he thought and what I have seen since my passing I can say I am proud of my family and how they pulled through. A fun fact about dying, it was the heart attack from the septicemia that did kill me but once everything ended, it was like falling asleep and there was no more pain and I could see everything I wanted to know about those on Earth with just a thought. But none of you are spiritualist in that sense so I will tell you about what I think of you. I am glad that Katyusha finally found someone that will treat her well. I find their story kind of like a cheap romance novel where the nurse takes care of the injured veteran and they fall in love, but I guess all that matters is they love each other and he will take care of her. And well, I can’t make people see that you really did see my ghost. One of the downsides to being dead is that you can only really know what the other side holds when you are there but the human mind is often more perceptible to such things in states like fever or distress and often when there is great emotion attached to those the deceased has. I guess that is why I appeared to you first. But at the same time one has to accept the notion in the first place. Which surprised me with you Fredka. You were so terrified of ghost stories. 

Nikolai is being such a good big brother. I wish that I could have met Anya and Ivan in person, also meet Matvey and Katyusha’s child but I can still watch like I have before. I admire you all and while I cannot be with you, I will be in your heart and that is all that matters. Those who love us never really leave us. As much as you are a part of my life, I will forever be a part of yours. I will see you again one day, as morbid as it sounds but reuniting with your loved ones is quite the phenomenon. And I will watch with joy at my family until we meet again. Take your time with that one. I want to see you all happy and living life to the fullest. 

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I figured I would wrap this up with just ghost Ivan’s thoughts to leave the story on a feel good ending. I also am thinking like I said in the previous A/N about doing something like this with the 20s centered around Matthew and Katyusha. I don’t know how fast I’ll get to that but I’m toying with the idea. (That and there is a severe lack of CanUkr.....) I don’t have much else to say here, so remember to read (well you just did) and review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.


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